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Show\n^ plan of Fortifications sooiiafter 
(ien. Sloiieinaii's Cavaliy raid upon Maron, 
~^ Au4iisl,1804'. 



FDT JTiT K KN MONT ITS 



rv 



SOUTHERN PRISONS 



NAKRATIVK OK TlfK TKKATMKNT OK FKDKRAL I'KIHO.VKKH OF WAR 

I.V TJfi; UKJJKIi MlhlTARV IMIIHONH OF RIOMMOXD, DANVILLK. 

ANDKRHONVILLK, BAVANNAIf, AND MILLKN; DKHCRIBIXO 

Tin-; aijthor'h khcapk wirir two comradkh, from 

ANDKRSONVlI-fiK AM) TlfK 151.001) UOCNDH; HIS 

ADVKNTiniKH DVAllSQ A FOCRTEKX NIGHTS' 

MA RCH IN THK HWA MI'S OF WKSTKRN UKOR- 

(;fA, AND HIS HURSKQUKNT RK-CAI'- 

TURK; TO WHICH IS ADDKD A LAROK 

I/IST OF THOSK WHO HAVIO DIKD 

IN VARIOUS PRISONS IN 

THF<: CONFKDERACY, 



/ 



P>^ IT. IVI. T)A.V^TI3ROTs[, 

Member Battery A., 1st O. V. L. A. 




M I L W A U K E K : 

DAILY WlHCtJN'HIN I'UINTING HOUaE. 



18f55. 



R.t\-A. 



<b 







■v 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1SC5, bj- 

H. M. DAVIDSON, 

iu the Clerk's Oflice of the District Court of the United States, for the North- 
ern District of Ohio. 



3 /) ^ 



i> 



^ 






^^,' 




INDKX. 



CHAPTER I. 

PAGE. 

Chickamauga liaUlc, 9 

Hospital, 15 

In tlie Enemy's hands, 17 

Tlie Wounded, IS 

Want^f Water, 20 

J'aroling Hospital Attendants, 21 

The Field, seven days after Battle, 24 

Arrival of United States Ambulances, with supplies for the wounded 27 

I'arollng the wounded, previous to passing through Federal lines, 2S 

CHAPTER II. 

March to Oliickamauga Station, ol 

'I'unnel Hill, 32 

I)alto)i, oo 

llesacca and Fortifications, -^-l 

Tics and Cakes, 84 

.Marietta, 35 

Arrival at Atlanta, 30 

Tri p to Augusta, 39 

Ijranchvillo, 42 

Ualeigh, 4^ 

Ifidmiond, '• • ■ 44 

CHAPTER III. 

Smith Prison, 47 

I'cmberton 48 

Scott, . . .43 

Libhy, 49 

Prison Fare, •'>^ 

Incidents, ^7 

Newspaper Gossip, 6'J 

Removal to Danville, CI 

CHAPTER IV. 

Danville, CG 

Prisons Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and C, C6 

Writing lettertj home, .^ 74 



IV INDEX. 

* PACK. 

Occupation of time ''^'^ 

Small Pox, "0 

Uoceipt of Uations anil Clothing, by flag of truce, "T 

How appropriated and issued, T9 

Hospital, SI 

Kxprcss boxes, S3 

Tunneling S > 

Handicraft, »l 

Incidents, '^-^ 

Newspaper reports f^S 

Kxchange, ^"^'l 

Hemoval to G corgia. 1'-'- 

C H A P T E K Y . 

Andcrsonville Trison. 109 

Api)earance of the Trisoners juid the Pen, Ill 

The First Night. US 

The Morning; 120 

Koll-Call, I'-'l 

Rations, 123 

Cooking Utensils, l'-4 

Wood and Axes l'-5 

Belle Islanders, l"iS 

Prisoners from CahaAvba and Plymouth 131 

CHAPTER VI. 

Enlargement of the Stockade, 137 

The Camp at Daylight, 141 

Shelters, 142 

Cooking, 14S 

Appearance of the Prisoners 150 

Koll-Call, l.>3 

Sick-Call, 155 

Market, 157 

The Sutler IW 

Smugglers, 101 

Manufacturers, 102 

Gamblers, 103 

Water, 104 

Fortifying, 105 

Raiders, 108 

Six men hung. 170 

Police, 170 

Petitions, 170 

Writing letters, 178 

lleceiving Express boxes, 1 78 

Incidents, ISO 



INDEX. V 

CHAPTER VII. 

. PAGE. 

ItatioriH, 1S5 

Cook-lIou8C'8, 1S6 

I^HcapcH, 10" 

I'uniHhmentS; 19T 

ll'Miioval of IloHpitals, 200 

Hick-Call, 201 

IIoKpitala, 21S 

TIic Dead, 22S 

The IJuriul, 283 

Ooncral Winder, 23;') 

Capt. AVifz, 2^37 

(JlIAPTEIi VIII. 

Allartta taken by Shcnnan, 241 

Order of Gen. Winder that 20,000 prisoners are to be exchanged, 242 

Tlio Author e.scape8 with two comrades, 244 

Avoiding the IJogH, , 241) 

Kiicounter Hood's Scouto, 291 

ilair-brcadth Escapes; 292 

In the midst of Hood's Army, 297 

Hurroundfd and re-captui-ed, 301 

ClIAPTEll IX. 

Ucbel HcadfiuarterK 807 

Opeliki, 311 

("olumbus, 314 

rian of Escape detected, 316 

AnilerHonvillc n;,'ain, 319 

Havaimali, 821 

h^ljccial Exchange of 10,000 sick, 325 

llemoval to Millen, 327 

The Prison Ten, 32S 

llecruiting among the Prisoners, 334 

I''re<' , 337 

CHAPTER X. 

I'aroleil, y41 

Rebel Truce Boats 348 

On IJoard Ship, 344 

Homeward Bound, 345 

iXorthcrn Soil, 846 

J''urIoughcd, 347 

Vi'iws of the Prisoners, 34S 

Tables, 357 

Conclusion, GCS 

Ai)i)endi\, 363 



PREFACE. 



During my captivity in tlie South, it was a settled conviction 
among tlie prisoners, tliat if tlie Nortliern people w^ere apprised 
of the condition in whicli wc were placed, they would not 
cease to employ the most strenuous efforts to induce the Gov- 
ernment to adopt measures whereby our terrible sufferings 
might be alleviated ; and wc pledged ourselves to each other, 
if any of our number should ever make his way to the North, 
to d(T all in his power to spread abroad a knowledge of our 
treatment, and arouse the sympathies of our friends to action 
in our behalf. 

Upon my arrival at my home, by special exchange, in De- 
cember, 1804, the following narrative was begun, in fulfillment 
of this pledge, with a view to its publication early in March 
following. Illustrations were to be furnished by a comrade 
who returned with me, and who, being an excellent artist, had 
sketched many scenes of prison life, and the work was to be 
printed by another comrade, who was a practical printer. Be- 
fore the work was ready, wc were separated, — the artist con- 
fined to his bed in New York, the printer at home in Michigan, 
and myself ordered to duty at the front, and consequently 
unable to attend to the passage of my book through the press ; 
while the sudden close of the war, by releasing the prisoners 
has made it no longer of value for the purpose for which it was 
originally designed. A picture of the cruelties which the rebel 
leaders practiced, to gratify their private vengeance, when they 
felt themselves baffled in their attempt to cut loose from legiti- 
mate authority, and set at defiance the laws they had sworn to 
obey, may not be entirely devoid of usefulness ; and the hope 
that a perusal of this book will awalien, in the mind of the 
reader, a deeper abhorrence of a rebellion, whose origin was in 
selfish ambition, and whose pretext was a stupendous lie, — is 
my apology for presenting it to the public at this time. 

The work contains but one illustration — a ground plan of 
Andersonville, which is correct) except, it may be, In some o 



Vlll niEFACE. 

the greater distances. I n,m not insensible to the fact, that cor- 
rect drawings add much to the interest of a narrative of this 
character ; but, as I could procure no other than fancy sketch- 
es. I abandoned the item of cuts altogether. 

It has been my design, in this work, to show that the treat- 
ment of Federal prisoners was the result of a deep laid plan to 
murder them by starvation, or at least to reduce them to such 
a point ol weakness anddisease as to prevent their ever again 
performing active service in the field. How far this may appear 
to be the case, I leave for the candid reader to judge. In the 
five difi'erent prisons in which I was incarcerated, the treatment 
was on the same general scheme, and difl\3red only in the de- 
tails — these beiug left to the several commanders of prison 
interiors. 

I have endeavored to tell my tale as it appeared to us in 
prison, to add nothing for the sake of embellishment — to keep 
back nothing that would operate in favor ot the men in charge 
of us. All the statements arc the result of personal observation, 
except a few, which have been referred to their proper author- 
ities. For their truth I pledge my veracity. The Chapter devo- 
ted to my escape was inserted, because the difficulties and 
dangers I encountered do not differ materially from those which 
beset others who made similar attempts. 

/ To paint the terrible sutferings of the starving, writhiug, dying 
mass of human beings, confined in those narrow prisons, is be- 
3'ond the power of language ; a shadow only can be given in 
place of the dreadful reality. But if my pen shall have awak" 
ened one feeling of abhorrence against, or shall have quickened 
one pulse to a deeper hatred of a Rebellion that could sanction 
such barbarities against helpless prisoners ; if I have added one 
leaf to the laurel wreath, woven for the brave and martyred 
men, whose sublime fortitude and steadfast love of country and 
right, enabled them to endure these inhuman tortures without 
a murmur or complaint, and whose only regret was that they 
could die but once in the holy cause, my task will not have 
been in vain. 

H. M. DxWIDSON, 
Battery A., 1st Reg. O. V. L. A. 
Gallatin, Tenx., June, 1805. 



FOURTEEN MONTHS 



JX 



SOUTHERN PRISONS. 






CHAPTER I. 

Chickamauga Battle— Hospital— In the Eaemy's Hands— The Woun- 
ded—Paroling Hospital Attendants— Want of Water, Bandages 
and Medicines— The Field Seven Days after the Battle— Arrival of 
United States Ambulances with Supplies for the Wounded— Pa- 
roling the Wounded previous to their passing through the Federal 
Lines. 

. The marches and countermarches of the 20th army 
corps, Army of the Cumberland, under Gen. McCook, 
over Lookout Mountain, previous to the great battle 
of Chickamauga, will long be remembered by the sur- 
vivors 6f the old " Second Division," commanded by 
Gen. Johnson. Three times was this division march- 
ed over this steep and rocky range, and the united 
strength of twelve horses was necessary to move one 
of our field pieces over the mountains. At a very late 
2 



10 FOFETEEN MONTHS 

hour oil Thursday evenmg, September 17th, 1863, 
after having made a forced march from early m.orning, 
with the exhausted horses dropping down in harness, 
we were formed in line of battle near Chickamauga 
Creek* 

When daylight appeared on the following morn- 
ing, the roads and fields showed evidences of a large 
body of troops in motion. ISTews of the evacuation of 
the stronghold of Chattanooga, by the rebels, had 
just reached us ; and up to that time the belief pre- 
vailed that there would be no general battle at this 
point. The batteries, however, were picketed on the 
chief roads, to guard against surprise, as well as to 
prevent any advantage to the enemy, in case of sud- 
den attack. But the day wore away so quietly that 
our previous impressions that there would be no gen- 
eral fight, seemed confirmed. 

Before sunrise on Saturday, the 19th, orders were 
received Vvdiich gave us notice to be ready to niove in 
fifteen minutes. The division was immediately in 
motion, and swinging around to the left, found itself 
on a good road, en route for Chattanooga. Crawfish 
Springs were soon reached, and it was while halting 
liere for rest and water, that the roaring of cannon in 
the distance announced to the soldier that he had not 
been summoned there for nought. 

Thus far the glorious success of the Army of the 



IN SOUTHERN PlilHONS. 11 

Cumberland, under " Rosey," all the way IVom Xasli- 
ville to this point, had won the admiration of every 
man in the ranks. lie had led them into the very 
lieart of rebeldom ; had confronted, attacked, and 
routed Bragg on his chosen ground at Murfreesboro ; 
had driven the rebel army three hundred miles in 
their own country, and had maintained his communi- 
cations over this long distance, intact. We had made 
one grand, triumphal march through the States of 
Kentucky and Tennessee, building bridges, and re- 
pairing railroads, so that the iron horse, with liis long 
train of supplies, might keep pace with us as we ad- 
vanced. Every true soldier, therefore, felt that the 
Army of the Cumberland, under its gallant leader 
was capable of marching any where it might please, 
in the Confederacy, and of routing any force which 
might be sent against it. Inspired by such confidence 
in its leader, and Avith such reliance upon itself, the 
booming of the distant guns, approaching nearer and 
nearer, brought no terror to our ranks ; and as the 
sun approached its meridian, the near sound of can- 
non and the sharjD rattle of musketry, told us that the 
tide of blood was rolling rapidly toward us. From a 
gentle knoll upon which we stood, the smoke and 
dust of the conflict might be distinctly seen, rising in 
billowy volumes, as if to shut out the fearful spectacle 
fvonx the eye of Heaven. 



12 t'OtTHTEEN M0:N^THS 

Gen. Rosecrans and his staff hurried past us on 
their fleet chargers, straight forward to the scene of 
action, where, as it proved, his presence was most 
needed. It was just at this tinie, near ten o'clock in 
the morning, that the column filed off to the right of 
the road and hurried on to the rescue. The scream- 
ing shells passed over our heads, madly slashing 
through the tree toj)s, severing the largest limbs from 
their trunks, with the apparent ease of a thunderbolt ; 
or taking a lower flight, dashed through the ranks, 
mowing down whole columns of men in then* deadly 
career. In all directions men were lying with their 
limbs crushed and scattered, their bodies still warm 
and quiA^ering. The scene was too horrible for de- 
scription. 

Our position was soon taken. Goodspeed's Bat- 
tery, (Bat. A, 1st Ohio Light Artillery,) of which I 
am a member, held the center of the artillery of the 
Division. We had been transferred to the left of the 
whole line of battle, away from our usual position, 
which was on the extreme right. The afternoon was 
spent in firing leisurely at the enemy massed in our 
front, concealed by heavy timber, behind which they 
were apparently maneuvering around us in three 
fourths of a circle ; and though they seemed mad- 
dened with desperation, and resolved to crush our 
line, by rolling in great waves upon one point at a 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 13 

time, yet with equal valor and determination, our 
forces met them, and with the point of the bayonet, 
pushed them back, inch by inch, over their chosen 
ground, during the whole of that dreadful afternoon. 
Among the trophies of our own Brigade, were five 
pieces of artillery and four caissons, which the Bat- 
tery had the satisfaction of drawing off the field, un- 
der a terrific shower of bullets. At about eight o'clock 
in the evening, the enemy charged our line in front, 
advancing with their tremendous whoop, and deliv- 
ering such a terrible and deadly fire, that for a mo- 
ment the Avhole line trembled and reeled, and seemed 
about to be thrown into complete disorder, when 
Goodspeed's and Simonson's batteries swept the field 
with well aimed shell and cannister, causing the foe 
to fall back hastily and in total route. 

Early in the evening the division was relieved and 
passed back to the rear of the reserve line, where, 
with fence rails for our pillows, and the ground for 
our beds, we passed the remainder of the night, as 
best we could ; and there was not a man of the com- 
mand that did not realise fully the fearful res23onsi- 
bilities of the next terrible day, aS we lay in our posi- 
tion waiting the appearance of dawn. The reflection 
that if upon the morrow the enemy were successful, 
we should be driven back, broken and demoralized, 
to wander over three hundred miles of a hostile coun- 



14 FOUKTEEX MO:S'THS 

ti-v, and subjected to :dl the tortures of sturvation, 
cold and thirst, oi- be captured, to pass the weary 
months in rebel prisons, did more to nerve us for the 
C'jming crasli of arms, than tJie presence of our officers 
or the glory of a lioped-for victory. 

At early dawn on Sunday, the 20tli of September, 
the whole line was astir. Entire trees were carried 
on the shoulders of the men to construct a line of 
teni]x»r;iry breast works, in anticij)ation of an attack 
at that point. These anticipations were soon realized, 
for before the works had reached completion, a rebel 
force, outnmnbering ours two to one, massed in their 
front, prepared to carry them at the point of the bay- 
onet. Successive charges made by them were re- 
pulsed with great slaughter. Our artillery, which 
had been placed about six hundred yards in the rea- 
of the works, had not yet opened its fire. At last, 
after due preparation, the rebels advanced for a final 
charge. The signal ^\'as given and the thunder of 
cannon rolled along the whole line from one end to 
the other, in one terrible billow of sound. Hardly 
liad the rising column of thick, sulphurous smoke 
lifted from the scene, before another wave of sound 
]"ushed along the line. The charge was repulsed on 
our front ; but the enemy were suddenly descried, 
massed on our left, advancing with deadly resolve to 
crush our li;ud<: and titrn our position. At the same 



IN SOUTHERN PKISONS. 15 

time it was whisj^ered that the hospitals in our rear 
were captured ; that our center had been pierced, and 
that no communication coukT. be had between the two 
wings of the army. N'othing daunted by this dis- 
heartening intelligence, we trained our guns to 
bear upon the nearer peril, and sent forth a volley 
of cannister to meet the advancing foe. On — on 
they pushed, heedless of their falling comrades, whom 
our gallant gunners at every shot were sweeping 
down by hundreds. Braver men never fought in any 
cause ; but despite their iron courage, the carnage 
was too fearful for endurance. They waver, they 
halt, they turn, — a shout of victory and a volley of 
grape follow the retiring foe. The field is ours, but 
at a fearful sacrifice. Sixteen of our company fell • 
two killed and fourteen wounded. But the victory 
Avas won ; and satisfied with the futility of any further 
attempt at storming our stronghold, the enemy re- 
tired and " let us alone," at that point, at least. Our 
fallen heroes were now assisted ofi* the field. My ser- 
vices, among others, were offered in removing the 
Avounded, and accepted. We carried our patients a 
mile or so to the rear, before we could find a hospital? 
owing to our entire ignorance of the direction in 
which it lay. Yf e finally succeeded in reaching a log . 
hut called Snodgrass Hospital, where we deposited 
our comrades. Meantime, the line of battle had 



16 FOUKTEEN MONTHS 

changed so entirely, that the rebel skh-mishers were 
stretching through the woods, across the track we had 
just passed over, and the battery Avas apparently ctit 
off. Under the circumstances, it was thought by the 
Major of the battalion too hazardous to attempt 
reaching our comrades upon the field, at that time, 
and he ordei-ed us to remain at the hospital until mat- 
ters should assume a more favorable aspect. Acting 
under this order, we remained assisting the wounded 
and relieving their necessities to the utmost of our 
ability. 

From this point it was impossible to judge Avhich 
of the contending parties w^ould hold the line of hills, 
which seemed to be the great stake fought for. The 
lighting continued with unabated severity during the 
entire afternoon. General Granger's corps came up 
late in the day, and their presence insj^ired those en- 
gaged, with new courage and vigor. As they moved 
to their j^osition, solid shot and shells went crashing 
through- the timber from the rebel guns. That corps 
in a short time Avas engaged and scattered in every 
direction. The firing Avas terrific. For the last few 
hours it Avas apparent that the enemy were stretching 
every nerA^e to get betAveen us and Chattanooga; but 
at sundoAvn, they iiad fallen back, and our forces took 
possession of their ground. It Avas now dark, and 
Avith the advice of the Major, we remained at the hos- 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 17 

pital during the night, hoping in the morning light 
to find our way back to our comrades. 

Five or six ambulances now arrived, which were 
immediately filled and driven oflf for Chattanooga, 
expecting soon to return and remove the three hun- 
dred remaining, who were, Avith few exceptions, mor- 
tally wounded. But they never returned, for during 
the stillness of the night, broken only by the moans 
of tlie wounded, the enemy suddenly and stealthily 
advanced, took possession of the hosj)ital, and in- 
formed us that Ave might consider ourselves prison- 
ers of war. 

This is j)roperly the beginning of my story. Our 
army, for the safety of Chattanooga, had fallen back, 
under the cover of the darkness ; a movement of 
Avhich the hospital had not been notified until they 
Avere in the enemy's hands. A rebel guard was im- 
mediately placed around the hospital, and a picket 
line in front. To escape and return to our command 
Avas now entirely out of the question, for, to the un- 
certainty of running the enemy's pickets, Avas added 
a total ignorance of the position of our own army, 
and if we should succeed in escaping the vigilance of 
the former, we were by no means certain of reaching 
the latter. We were forced to accept the only chance 
that Avas left for us, and remain where we were. But 
had we knoAvn Avhat was in store for us, or realized 



18 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

the terrible suirerings'we were to undergo, there was 
not a man of us but would rather have periled all in 
an effort to escape from that hospital. 

Morning came and showed us a sufficient iield of 
labor. Three hundred men were lying in and around 
the old log house, with limbs shattered and broken? 
faint from loss of blood, and stiff from the cold dews 
of night. Yv'hat could we do ? we had no bandages, 
no medicines ; no food of any sort y,^as to be found; 
water could be had at no less distance than three 
fourths of a mile, and there were only a dozen can- 
teens in which to bring it. With such utensils and 
such means little could be done to relieve the wants 
of the suffering. Soon after sunrise a strong line of 
battle was formed behind a rail fence in front of the 
hospital, and between us and Chattanooga, in the 
direction of which at intervals, cannonadin'7; could be 
distinctly heard. Roving bands of cavalry, commis- 
sioned officers of all grades, from General to Lieu- 
tenant, came to the hospital to inspect the spoils. A 
Colonel of a Tennessee Regiment rode up, and dis- 
mounting, called for the surgeon in charge of the 
hospital, with whom he held a long conversation on 
the state of the wounded, and their necessities, c%c. 
When he had mounted his horse to depart, he said : 
"Boys, I am from Tennessee, and my residence and 
plantation are a few miles south of Ils'ashville, on the 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 19 

Franklin pike. I suppose you had a good time when 
you camped there feasting upon my chickens and 
turkeys. I hope you did, and I hope they did you 
good. But in less than three weeks, hoys, my regi^ 
ment shall camp there, and my house shall be my 
headquarters." We gave the Colonel, who was really 
a good natured fellow, our congratulations on the 
"good time" he would have before he reached there, 
in clunbing over the mountains and the Federal bay- 
onets. Generals Longstreet, Bragg, Hood, Lee and 
Preston, rode up to the hospital on very poor horsesj 
and without escort. General Preston was the only 
one who had much to say to us. He is a very pleas- 
ant man to talk with, has a fine form, compactly built, 
and a heavy moustache. He wanted to know what 
battery that was, pointing in the direction of one 
which stood near. " I would like to know," said he, 
"for it did terrible mischief with one of my batteries 
that I ordered to silence it. I could count on that 
battery as number one, every time ; it did splendid 
shooting." The other Generals said but little ; but 
that little Avould have been a good deal, if it had hap- 
pened to be true, for they told us that Gen. Bragg's 
army had captured ninety pieces of artillery, taken 
nearly one half of our army prisoners, killed and 
wounded the half of what remained, while the rest, 
dispirited and demoralized, were trying to cross the 



20 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

Tennessee and retreat to Nashville ; they also said 
they had no chance of reaching ISTashville, for Forrest's 
cavalry were between Bridgej^ort and Murfreesboro, 
and had torn up and destroyed the Railroad for miles, 
&c., &G. Their fine stories did not alarm ns, how- 
ever, for the booming of the cannon told ns that the 
conflict Avas still going on at no great distance. 

The few canteens we had, were kept constantly in 
use, bringing water for the wounded ; but with all 
our efforts we could not furnish enough to allay the 
thirst of the j^oor fellows, to say nothing of any to 
dress their wounds with. That terrible cry, " water ! 
water ! " coming from a hundred voices at once, haunt- 
ed me for days after I had left the scene. Poor fel- 
lows ! we did all we could for them with the limited 
means at our command, but while doing our best, we 
knew that we could not assuao-e that a^'onipiiiir thirst 
which the gun shot wound excites. 

On the evening of the 22d, a Captain Reid of 
Bragg's staff, rode up, and ordered all that could 
walk to fall in, as he was going to send them all to 
Richmond. Some sixteen of us tied a red string 
around our arms and claimed to be regular hospital 
attendants, that we might stay and see the battle- 
field. One of our Surgeons protested against leaving 
so few men to take care of the wounded, but his ar- 
o-uments were of no avail, the circumstances of the 



IN" SOUTHERN PRISONS. 21 

situation having no influence witli tlie inexorable 
asrent. Each of the well men that remained was fur- 
nished with a separate parole,* requiring him to report 
to the post commandant at Atlanta, as soon as his 
services should no longer be required at the hospital. 
Thus we remained. For three days and nights we 
were without food of any kind, and the only bandages 
we could procure were pieces torn from old shelter 
tents. The tasks of these volunteer nurses for the 
three days and nights, with no food, amid the dead 
and dying, inhaling the stench of gangrened wounds, 
and hearing the groans and complaints of the suffer- 
ers, who were asking us for aid, when we knew we 
could do nothing for them, were by no means light 
or agreeable. On the evening of the 24th of Sep- 
tember, a rebel surgeon was sent us, who, possessing 
some humanity, upon seeing our situation, ordered a 



* Paeole— "I, H. M. Davidson, private of Company A, 1st Ohio 
Light Artillery Regiment of the United States army, captured at 
the battle of Chicltamauga, Georgia, solemnly swear that I will not 
bear arms against the Confederate States Government, nor help, 
aid, or assist, either directly or indirectly, by assisting in any ser- 
vice of the United States Government, until regularly exchanged a 
prisoner of war. And that I will report to the commandant of the 
post at Atlanta, Georgia, as soon as the sick and wounded of the 
United States prisoners of war, whom I am only paroled to attend, 
shall no longer require my services. 

HENRY M. DAVIDSON. 

Subscribed and sworn to before me at the ) 
Chickmauga, September, 22d, 1863. j 

Wm. Keid, Capt. and Ass't Pro, Marshal Gen." 



22 FOURTEE]^ MONTHS 

bushel of corn meal to be sent to us tbe next morn 
ing. This supply, insufficient as it was, for three 
Imndred men, who had tasted nothing for seventy- 
two hours, was all that was given us for the next two 
days. We were thankful, however, for so small a fa- 
vor, and ate our meal with a great relish. Tlie fol- 
lowing morning he came again with a set of surgical 
instruments. Although kind enough about the corn 
meal, he proved to be a haughty, over-bearing man, 
whose high opinion of himself would have j^ut the 
sceptre of empire into his own hands, if unfortunately 
he had not lacked the power to do so. His great 
weakness Avas his denying human emotions to any 
who were beneath him in rank; in consequence of 
which he exacted the utmost humility from all below 
him — a weakness unfortunately common to a large 
majority of officers in both the Federal and Rebel 
armies. He laid down this proposition, in his treat- 
ment of the wounded Federals; — that if they had all 
staid at home and let the Confederates alone, none of 
them would have been lying then and there, demand- 
ing his services ; with which highly satisfactory theory 
he consoled the fortunate man who obtained those 
services in the amputation of a gangrened limb. He 
was not always in the amputating mood, and when 
the freak set in, no amount of solicitation could in- 
duce him to examine a woimd; and many a poor fel- 



IN SOUTHEEN PRISONS. 23 

low died from gangrene, whose life might have been 
saved by a timely application of the knife. My after 
experience taught me that it was no part of the de 
sign of the rebel government to save the life of a Fed- 
eral prisoner, and that if they could not succeed in 
killing him, in open, manly warfare, they would at 
least capture and render him unlit for further service, 
by cruelties and neglect practiced upon him while 
helpless in their hands. I remember one instance of 
this cruelty of neglect. A man was taken to the table 
to have his leg amputated. His right leg was wound- 
ed ; under the hot sun the w^ound had gangrened, be- 
come putrid — and his body near the wound was filled 
with maggots. The surgeon cast a hasty glance at 
1dm and ordered him removed. The sufferer had pos- 
session of all his senses and begged that the amputa- 
tion might take place, but the surgeon was deaf to 
his entreaties, and the poor fellow was removed. He 
bore his sufferings like a hero and lived several days 
after this, although he knew that death could not be 
long delayed. The boys sang and prayed with him; 
he arrano;ed his little affairs so that his wife and chil- 
dren might know that he died gloriously for his coun- 
try, and that in death he remembered them. And so 
he died, the victim of neglect on the part of those 
whom every sentiment of humanity called upon to 
assist and care for him. 



24 I^FOUETEEN MONTHS 

Seven days after tjie battle, in the company of a 
comrade, I made a torn* over the field. I had long 
desii'ed to inspect a battle ground, and, although I 
had taken part in several general engagements, be- 
ing constantly with my command, I had never had 
the opportunity. So that from what I already knew of 
the matter from slight observation, I had an eager 
curiosity to examine this field. A mile's walk 
brought us to the scene of the hardest fighting on 
Sunday. Every tree in front of our line of works, 
taking the smallest as the average, contained sixty 
bullets, ranging all the way from a foot in hight to 
twenty. Trees from twelve to twenty inches in 
diameter, were twisted off and shivered as if a tor- 
nado had passed over them. The earth was furrowed 
in all directions with the solid shot and shell that 
were still lying about. Back of this line, and off to 
the right, in a strip of timber, our dead were Ipng 
unbm-ied where they fell. Many of them had been 
divested of all their clothing, except a pair of drawers 
too much tattered and worn to be worth stealing. 
Everything that could be of service had been taken 
away by the men of Bragg's army. The appearance 
of these bodies, having lain upon the ground, exposed 
to the hot sun, for seven days, was too horrible for 
description. At intervals could be seen scores of 
artillery horses, piled up in heaps, by the bursting of 



IN SOUTHERN PllISONS. 25 

shells, while dismounted guns and fragments of lim- 
bers and caissons, showed the fearful part played by 
the batteries in the terrible carnage of Sunday. In 
various parts of the field, little boys and old grey- 
haii'ed men were seeking and gathering together 
loose cartridges and cartridge boxes, and anything 
else that came in their way, that could possibly be of 
service to their own army. Rich old planters with 
their wives and daughters, were roaming over the 
field, still red with gore, and rejoicing that there were 
so many " dead Yankees" bleaching upon the fields 
of the " sunny south." Where the dead were lying 
thickest, we met an intelligent citizen, and it being a 
very appropriate place to ask questions, he expressed 
a desire to talk with us in regard to the strength of 
Rosecrans' army and the war feeling at the North, 
Without any hesitation, he said he had the means of 
knowing the exact strength of Bragg's army. He 
told us that Bragg's old command numbered 40,000 
men ; that it had been reinforced by Johnston with 
20,000, and by Longstreet with 20,000, swelling the 
list to 80,000 men, exclusive of the cavalry com- 
mands of Forrest and Wheeler ; and that with such a 
force they Would march triumphantly to the Ohio 
I'iver. We i*eplied that Rosecrans had sufficient force 
to hold Chattanooga against the whole Southern Con- 
federacy. He said he thought the battle of Chicka^ 
3 



26 FOURTEEiq- MONTHS 

manga would teach the Northern people that the 
South could never be subjugated, and that a few more 
such lessons as we had had during the past two weeks, 
would convince us that we had better " let them 
alone," for they would all die before they would ac- 
knowledge themselves conquered, or give up the insti- 
tution of slavery. We told him that the majority of 
the Northern people had never wavered in the prose- 
cution of the war ; that we did not wish to subjugate 
the South ; that our mission would be ended, and 
hostilities would cease, when the rebels laid down 
their arms, surrendered back the United States property 
which they had stolen^ and consented to live peaceably 
under the laws of our common country. We gave 
him to understand that the battle of Chickamauga 
was but an insignificant item in the grand total of 
carnage, unless the terms of unconditional surren- 
der were accepted, and that if subjugation were the 
issue they made, we must accept it and subjugate 
them; for in that case there was no other way left of 
settling the matter. Satisfied that we were not 
loyal to Ms cause he left us, and we returned to the 
hospital. 

On the 28th of September, the wounded were all 
moved to a general hospital a mile further up towards 
Chattanooga. It was located near a large spring of 
clear water, which furnished us with an abundance 



IN SOUTHEEN PBISONS. 27 

of that now invaluable article. The worst cases were 
moved upon stretchers, while those with compara- 
tively slight wounds were transferred in army wagons. 
An arrangement was here made to parole and ex- 
change all the wounded. One hundred and ninety- 
six ambulances arrived from our lines to receive them; 
which contained supplies enough to last till all were 
through the lines. The ambulances on reaching the 
lines had exchanged drivers, and in consequence 
nearly every box of hard bread had been broken 
open and a part of its contents abstracted. I knew 
this to be the fact because I saw the rebel drivers 
filling their haversacks from the boxes that had come 
to us under " flag of truce." What was left was put 
into a commissary tent, and a guard placed over it ; 
but every guard embraced the opportunity to fill his 
haversack with sugar, coffee, dried fruit and hard 
bread. We complained to the chief surgeon in charge 
of the hospital, but he made no effort to have the 
matter corrected, though he had entire control of the 
medicines and supplies. He freely offered to the 
Confederate officers the hospital whisky and dainties 
that were designed for the exclusive use of the 
wounded. It is presumed that he thought by so doing 
to gain favor with the enemy, and anticipated a little 
more gentle treatment in return at their hands on hia 
arrival in Richmond, whither he was soon to be sent 



28 POtTRTEEN MONTHS 

as a prisoner. Such men deserve the condemnation 
of the whole world, and should receive a dishonor- 
able dismissal from the United States service. 

As soon as the ambulances arrived, the Confederate 
Surgeons commenced paroling the prisoners, and 
continued the work until its completion. Two trips 
were made before all could be taken away. The last 
train was loaded during a heavy thunder shower, the 
rain j^ouring down as it can pour only in the South. 
The men were completely drenched, but were too 
happy to escaj)e from the hands of the rebels to mind 
it much. One of the boys who had two blankets gave 
them to me, as I had none, and would probably need 
them, while he was going where he could procure new 
ones. The ambulances were loaded, and as we saw 
our comrades start for home we envied the poor fel- 
lows their wounds which had proved to them a pass- 
port to better things. As soon as they were gone, we 
who remained were informed that the next day we 
were to start for Atlanta. Seeing the rebels makmg 
a general raid upon the supplies sent for our hospital, 
w^emade bold to appropriate a portion for our own use, 
and by this means laid in a quantity for our jom*ney. 
It was well for us that we did this, for, as it proved, 
it was all we had furnished us till we reached Atlanta. 
Great promises were made us of excellent fare at that 
place, and our anticipations were raised high at the 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 29 

glowing accounts of the plenty and luxury those en- 
joyed who were so fortunate as to fall into the hands 
of the rebel government. Experience, it is unneces- 
sary to a;dd, soon taught us that the " plenty " they 
had so finely represented, existed, if at all, only in 
the imaginations of those who told about it. Certainly 
it was not our lot to partake of "j^lenty" at Atlanta, 
or at any other place in the Confederacy. 



CHAPTER II. 

March to Chickamauga Station— Tunnel Hill— Dalton— Kingston— 
Resaca and Fortifications— Pies and Cakes— Marietta — Scenery— 
Arrival at Atlanta— Trip to Augusta— Savannah River— Branch- 
ville, Kingsville, Columbia and Charlotte, N. C, Raleigh, via 
Salisbury and Greensboro— Goldsboro, Weldon and Petersburg— 
At rest in Richmond. 

A little past noon on the 2d day of October, twelve 
days after the battle of Chickamauga, we were order- 
ed to form in line for a march to Chickamauga Station, 
seven miles distant, and ten from Chattanooga. A 
guard, composed of citizens principally, armed with 
shot guns and old muskets, and various utensils for 
shooting, and facetiously denominated "cavalry," ac- 
companied us. As regular soldiers, we felt humiliated 
in being obliged to submit to be guarded by these 
sneaking citizens, whose courage increased after the 
battle as rapidly as it had decreased before, and the 
most of whom no doubt possessed j^apers showing 
that they had already taken the oath of allegiance. 
We passed through a woody country, near Bragg's 
headquarters, where the reserve forces were drawn up 
in line of battle. Beyond this at a little distance 



32 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

Chickamauga Creek confronted us. lieacliing the 
ford, at which a large guard was stationed, we halted 
for ferriage. A small dug-out was after a time pro- 
cured, and we were taken across in parties of eight at 
a time. While waiting our turn, the rebels flocked 
around us by hundreds to talk and trade with us ; 
their old clothing formed the chief article of barter, 
and a liberal quantity of Confederate scrip was 
oifered to make up balances. As our " personal prop- 
erty" consisted princijjally of our apparel, we were 
not inclined to " trade," and it was only by a persist- 
ent and vigorous defense of our personal rights that 
we succeeded in " holding our own." We did it, how- 
ever, in spite of repeated orders to exchange, and 
threats of violence if we did not comply. Being 
across the creek we started for the Station, where we 
arrived in due time. A train of box cars was in wait- 
ing for us, and we proceeded to load ourselves therein. 
This being effected after some delay, owing to the 
crowded state of the cars, and the dislike manifested 
by the boys to lying more than two deep upon the 
bottom, we finally got under way about dark, and 
proceeded as far as Tunnel Hill, where we lay to> 
till morning. A few houses were to be seen at this 
place, scattered here and there along the line of the 
Railroad, all presenting the same dilapidated appear- 
ance so characteristic of Southern villages. It is a 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 33 

place of no particular consequence, and except for 
the passage of the railroad through the mountain at 
that point, would be nameless. At sunrise the train 
passed through the tunnel on its way to Atlanta. 
Permission being given to ride upon the outside, I 
took up my position on the toj) of the car, both to 
escape the press and close air within, and to note the 
character of the country. When I entered the army 
it wa» with a determination to learn all I could, in 
whatever situation I might be placed. I knew that 
this part of Georgia would soon be the theatre of 
active military operations, and if it should happen to 
me to be exchanged and return over the same ground 
with our army, all the information I might be pos- 
sessed of, might be turned to good account. For this 
purpose I took notes of the principal points of interest 
as far as I was able to do so, and from, these notes 
the following narrative is compiled. 

By eight o'clock the train reached Dalton, a con- 
necting point of railroads leading to East and Middle 
Tennessee, a situation, which, if once in our posses- 
sion and held, would prove of great damage to the 
Confederacy. We made but a brief call at this point, 
and passing on through a pleasant country reached 
Kingston, another railroad junction. Several hun- 
dred soldiers and officers and citizens were gathered 
at this point, apparently for no particular purpose. 



34 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

A train of cars wliicli had preceded us from Chicka- 
mauga, loaded with the debris of the battle field, 
halted here to let us pass. By ten o'clock we reach- 
ed Resaca, afterwards the scene of a bloody fight 
between Sherman and Bragg's army. A large 
«amp of State militia had been established here, and 
upon one of the adjacent eminences an earthwork 
Avas in process of erection. Small works had been 
thrown up near the raih-oad bridge, mounting some 
five pieces of artillery, and a line of breastworks con- 
structed of sand, had been built on the south 
bank of the river. It was evident that Bragg's main 
reliance was upon the natural defences of the country 
about Chattanooga, and that he even doubted his 
ability to hold those. It occurred to us that these 
industrious "lads" had commenced their defences 
too far North, and would be obliged to vacate them 
and fall further back whenever Uncle Sam saw fit to 
advance again. 

Making a short call at this place for wood and 
water, the train moved on again toward Atlanta, 
crossing the Etowah, near large ii'on works, situated 
at the right of the raih-oad. The country was very 
rough, and the train wound and coiled itself among 
the hills in graceful curves. At every station and 
water tank the women, girls and boys flocked around 
the train with " leather " pies and cakes for sal^.. 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 35 

The pies were made apparently of sweet potatoes, 
(chickens were rare,) baked in a crust without any 
previous preparation, and formed a remarkably dura- 
ble article of food. From the samples sold us on our 
route to Richmond, we concluded that a reformation 
was imperatively demanded in the cuisine of the 
" Southern Confederacy." 

At Marietta we met a train load of Georgia militia 
on their way to join Bragg. They looked brave and 
heroic, (the battle had been fought,) and if words 
had been available for such an event, would have 
annihilated the whole of "Lincoln's horde" then and 
and there. Fortunately for us, words were not bul- 
lets and we were unscathed. A corpulent lieuten- 
ant, something of the Falstaff order of heroes, was 
particularly noticeable. He said that when his State 
was invaded by the foe, he could no longer remain 
peaceably at home, but felt it incumbent upon him 
to buckle on his sword and hurl back the invaders 
from the soil or bury them beneath it. "Boys," said 
he, protruding his Falstaffian proportions full toward 
us, "you started for the great city of Atlanta, and 
will probably arrive there sooner than you expected, 
and if you ever return to your friends at the North, 
tell them that when Georgia is invaded, one patriot 
on the soil can whip five of the puny Northmen, and 
bid them remember that the * stag at bay is a dan- 



36 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

gerous foe.' " We consoled him somewhat by telling 
him that we were only the advance upon Atlanta, 
and that our friends were quietly coming that way, 
when he would have an opportunity of finishing any 
five of them he chose to select for that purpose. We 
intimated also that we did not doubt his courage in 
the least, at that distance from danger, after the bat- 
tle had been fought, and sincerely hoped there might 
be no casualties so far from the scene of the action. 
The only friends we had here, as well as at most places 
through which we passed, were the negroes, and 
they, under the eye of their masters, were unable to 
lend us much assistance. From this we moved 
directly toward Atlanta, through a country, which in 
times of peace, and in the hands of any but the indo- 
lent Southern master, would be fruitful and beautiful 
beyond descrijDtion. Coming gradually upon the 
town, we had opportunity briefly to notice something 
of its envu'ons. The city is built upon a table 
land, and surrounded with j)arks, shaded walks and 
costly residences. Wealth, luxury and idleness 
abounded on all sides. Ladies, gaily dressed, prom- 
enaded the streets, and fine equipages, and gay "turn- 
outs" met the eye in every direction. Many of these 
had gathered about the depot expecting a train load 
of wounded from the Chickamauga battle, but finding 
the " contemptible Yanks" instead, their expected 



IN SOUTHEEN PRISONS. 37 

pleasure changed suddenly into scorn and derision. 
I had heard much of the modesty and high breeding 
of Southern females and was prepared to see ladies 
of high accomplishments. After making all due 
allowances for patriotic devotion to their country, it 
would hardly seem consonant with refined female 
character to treat even enemies with so much con- 
tempt, as these high blooded women manifested for 
us. A true" women never loses the character of a 
lady under any circumstances^ much less will she 
descend to vile epithets or words of derision. On 
the whole, I prefer our !N"orthern notions of refine- 
ment to anything I saw in the South. It may be an 
error in my early education, but " on general princi- 
ples," one does not like to be spit upon even by rosy 
lips, and a Northern man is inclined to construe pro- 
miscuous salivation upon his own person into an 
afii'ont. 

We were not allowed to leave the cars until order- 
ed to do so by the Provost Marshal— a young man of 
great proportions, no doubt, in Atlanta, and his own 
estimation. He formed us in two ranks and marched 
us through the principal streets of the city, the little 
boys throwing stones at us, meanwhile, and calling 
upon us by opprobrious epithets. The women in 
carriages waved flags, spit, and hurrahed for Gen. 
Bragg and his victory at Chickamauga. Under the 



38 FOUETEEJT MONTHS 

circumstances we felt called upon to cheer for Rosey, 
and tlie streets of the rebel town rang with the loud 
hurrahs for our gallant commander and the Stars and 
Stripes. Previous to this we had borne their jeers 
and insults in silence, but we answered with louder 
cheers than they did and drowned them with our 
good Union noise. The pen into which we were 
marched was an enclosure of about half an acre in 
area, surrounded by a board fence twelve feet high, 
upon which was a parapet for the guard. Before 
entering the place, the column was halted, and our 
names taken, when the gates were thrown open and 
we entered. As the first man passed in he was halt- 
ed by a commissioned officer and robbed of all his 
clothing, except what was necessary to cover hun, 
together with his blanket. We knew that prisoners 
were robbed and sometimes stripped of their clothing 
by privates in the rebel army, those whose desu'e for 
pillage was superior to every sense of honor, but we 
did not anticipate robbery by order of the rebel au- 
thorities. We foolishly supposed them governed by 
the plainest rules of civilized warfare, which respect 
property of prisoners of war. No shelter or fii*e was 
provided for us, although the night air in Atlanta is 
very chilling even at this season of the year. At ten 
o'clock a dray load of bacon and hard bread was is- 
sued in the dark, for which every man scrambled ; 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 90 

and with this little episode to cheer us, we passed the 
night shivering with cold. 

At an early hour we were all (some 500 in number) 
ordered to the Augusta depot. Our march was 
through a busy street, lined with ware-houses, stores 
and banks, and the scene was lively and bustling as 
in our Northern cities. Evidences of wealth and 
importance were on all hands. The devastating in- 
fluence of war had not yet reached this fair city, and 
it reveled in its security. Fancy young men, gentle* 
men in Southern parlance, (snobs and dandies we 
call them at the ISTorth) perambulated the streets in 
broadcloth and jewels, superciliously looking uj)on 
us through costly eye glasses, which they had pro* 
cured in New York and forgotton to pay for. From 
what we saw of these nice young men, we concluded 
that chivaky consisted mainly in ruffled shirts, fancy 
kids, jewelry and billingsgate ; although we may not 
have seen the best of the South, and our eyes may 
have been prejudiced. 

The train of box cars being ready, we stepped on 
board, the whistle sounded and we were off for Au- 
gusta. We passed slowly out of the city, by ware- 
houses and stores, past the trains of cars loaded with 
iron and machinery, which had been run back to this 
point from Chattanooga, for safety ; and the boys re- 
galed themselves with the thought, that in the on- 



40 rOUETEEN MONTHS 

ward march of the Union armies, this place woukl 
feel the crushing heel of war upon its bosom, and 
repent the foul deeds it had sanctioned against such 
prisoners as had been unfortunate enough to be cast 
within its gates. 

The train passed the base of Stone Moimtain, which 
is a singulai' freak of nature ; it stands in the midst of a 
rolling country, the only elevation of any extent with- 
in the scope of vision. It is half a mile in diameter at 
its base, and of solid rock. This was ahnost the only 
noticeable feature of the country through which we 
passed. Now and then a costly mansion of some ar- 
istocrat appeared, but in close proximity to it would 
be seen the hovels of the " poor trash." We rolled on 
monotonously to Augusta, at which point we arrived 
at half past five p. m., where we encountered a large 
crowd of citizens, negroes and soldiers, changing cars 
for Macon, Savannah, Charleston and Colimibia. Like 
Atlanta, Augusta had not felt a touch of the war, 
and its busy streets gave evidence that it was thriv- 
ing, while many of its sister cities were feeling the 
bhscht of treason. We stood hi rank for a few min- 
utes, awaiting orders to march, and were soon sur- 
rounded by women whose sympathizing looks plain- 
ly told us that had they dared, they would have lent 
us aid in our misfortune. 

From the depot, we marched to a large vacant 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 41 

warehouse and yard, where we remained two nights 
and a day. Those that could, stayed in the build- 
ing, and when it was full, the remainder were com- 
pelled to lie in the yard. The nights were very cold, 
and the boys who lay in the yard were saturated with 
the heavy dews. Jiations were scarce and our cloth- 
ing was gone. Afterwards we became accustomed 
to this kind of treatment, and did not mind it very 
much, but our initiation was sudden and we felt it the 
more Keenly. 

While in Augusta, watermelons wara smuggled 
among the prisoners by the guards, for which most 
exorbitant prices were paid. There was no hesita- 
tion manifested about taking greenbacks, which at 
that time had the same value as Confederate Scrip. 
On the morning of the 6th of October, at an early 
hour, we were aboard a train for Branchville, South 
Carolina. We crossed the bridge, a structure similar 
to the Railroad bridge at Nashville, where by some 
error in connecting trains, we remained until 4 p. m. 
The train at last got under way, and we flew rapidly 
on across a long stretch of swampy land, and through 
forests of birch from whose branches hung long, flow- 
ing bunches of grey moss. A dismal, weary ride it 
was, in our pent up boxes. To vary the monotony, 
the cars midway the train, uncoupled, and the engine 
with a few cars plunged on and left us. The engineer 
4 



42 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

discovered his loss* and backed up for the remainder, 
when we went on again. We arrived at Branchville 
some time during the night, the distance from which 
to Charleston, is sixty miles. The negroes here told 
us they often heard the heavy guns fired in Charles- 
ton harbor during the bombardment of that city. We 
halted only long enough to change cars, and pushed 
on for Charlotte, ISTorth Carolina, which place we 
reached in just twenty-four hours after leaving Au- 
gusta. The total distance between the two places 
by rail, is 248 miles. Charlotte seemed at that time 
to be an active, thriving little town. Whether its 
importance was owing to its natural advantages as a 
business center, we had no means of determining, 
but judging from its appearance, it was the most im- 
portant place in the Confederacy. The streets were 
lined with teams, hacks, busses and express wagons, 
and along the sidewalks were huge jDiles of cotton 
bales, and bales of cotton cloth, awaiting transporta- 
tion. We passed the dark stormy night following 
our arrival, in a grove outside the town. The rain 
poured down in torrents, and our clothes were satur- 
ated in a short time. We had been accustomed to 
rain and storm without shelter, but our blankets and 
overcoats had kept us in a comparatively dry state, 
and the inner man was fortified with plenty, to resist 
the elements. Here, however, we had neither food, 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 43 

fire, shelter, nor blanket, had ridden 250 miles in 
close cars, and were nearly famished. We accepted 
the condition, however, as an incident of war, and 
made the best we could of it. 

I^ext morning we shipped for Raleigh, taking a 
IsTortheasterly direction, and passing through a bar- 
ren, desolate country. At Salisbury we passed the 
officers' barracks, where, it was said Union officers 
were held in solitary confinement as hostages. We 
reached Raleigh at midnight, changed cars and pro- 
ceeded through Goldsboro to Weldon, where we ar- 
rived at 3 p. M., of the same day. Here we halted 
for a few hours and received a ration consisting of 
three small crackers to each man — the first we had 
had to eat since leaving Augusta, on the fifth of the 
month, and it was now the ninth. The people here 
seemed possessed of a good deal of Union sentiment, 
and expressed a strong desire to be under the old 
flag again, with many curses against Jeff. Davis and 
his " bogus confederacy." One lad told us that he 
had secreted a hundred dollars in gold, which Jeff, 
would never get, though he exj)ected himself soon to 
be conscripted. The citizens informed us that they 
v/ere living under a com23lete despotism. The poorer 
classes were in a state of beggary and want, while 
the wealthier were obliged to contribute all they 
could spare, for the support of the Government, and 



44 FOUETEEN MONTHS 

receive in exchange Confederate scrip wMcli was 
worthless. 

After changing cars, we proceeded on towards 
Petersburg, across an extensive bridge which was 
strongly guarded, in anticipation of a cavalry raid 
upon it. The rolling stock of the road was in a very 
dilapidated condition, the cars being so worn that 
many of them Avere left behind, while the engines 
were so light that they could not move a full train 
upon an uj) grade. We arrived at Petersburg at 
midnight, and remained till the next morning, when 
we marched through the main street to the Richmond 
depot. Taking the cars here again we were soon on 
the last stage of our trij), in length about twenty-four 
miles. The country is gently rolling and strongly 
fortified tlu'ough the whole extent. We reached the 
Confederate capital at sunrise on the morning of the 
10th of October, 1863, and crossed the long, high 
bridge over the James river. The bed of this river 
seems to be solid rock, the bottom being covered with 
large loose boulders, against which the water plunges 
and dashes in its onward rush to the ocean. The 
bridge itself seems to be about half a mile in length 
and is a very solid and expensive structure. The 
cars carried us du-ectly into the city, and the first 
building that caught our eye at the end of the bridge 
was the arsenal, at which a negro was unloading a 



la SOUTHERN PKI60NS. 45 

dray load of 64 pound shell. Opposite the arsenal 
was the " Tredegar Iron Works," the main depend- 
ence of the rebels for their car and locopotive work, 
north of Charleston and Columbia. A line of guards 
was stationed here, extending from the railroad to 
the notorious Castle Thunder, of "which every one 
North and South has heard so much since the break- 
ing out of the war. This prison consists simply of 
an old J:obacco warehouse two and a half stories high, 
with all the windows knocked out; — a place where 
the Richmond authorities put all their deserters, run- 
away negroes, and men sentenced to death. If a 
Yankee prisoner escaped and was retaken, he had a 
choice cell in the filthy tenement. 

Arrived and unloaded, we were marched to an old 
warehouse opposite Castle Thunder, a hole in every 
respect the counterpart of the castle. After being 
here a couple of hours or more, a Major Turner came 
into the building and ordered us to fall into four 
lanks, Avhen he informed us that he wanted our 
money. If it had been in the street and he had had 
a pistol instead of a SAvord, we should have suj^posed 
him to be a highwayman. He informed us that if we 
came forward and freely gave up our money, it would 
be refunded to us on our being paroled or exchanged, 
but if we refused, he would cause our clothing to be 
searched, and all money found upon us would be 



46 FOUETEFN MONTS IN SOUTHEKN PKISONS. 

confiscated. The men finding themselves in the 
hands of thieves and seeing no Avay out of their un- 
fortunate dilemma, determined that it was best to 
deliver their money upon the rascal's promise of 
refunding. The whole amount thus collected was 
not less than $30,000 from the squad of men in our 
party. This was in sums varying from $1,500 to $50. 
This was an unexpected manner of effecting a forced 
loan, and one which none but Jeff. Davis and his 
friends would ever have invented. Not one dollar 
of this money was ever returned. After our robbery, 
we were marched to Smith Prison, a few rods from 
the famous "Libby," where our officers were con- 
fined, and inducted into Prison Life in earnest.. 



CHAPTERIII. 

Smith Prison— Pemberton — Scott — Libby Prison fare — Incidents — 
Newspaper Gossip — Exchange — Eemoval to Danville. 

Smith prison lies Northeast of Libby, on a street 
running nearly North and South, and meeting the 
street upon which the Libby stands, at right angles. 
This building was originally designed, and previous 
to the war, used as a tobacco warehouse and factory. 
It is sixty feet long by forty wide, three stories and a 
half high, and contained four full floors, although the 
upp er one was very low, being directly beneath the roof. 
The three upper floors were already filled upon our 
arrival, with prisoners captured at Chickamauga, 
who had been sent forward before us, so that our de- 
tachment, numbering nearly 500, was crowded 
together upon a basement floor. The room contained 
just twenty-four hundred square feet of space, and 
this including what was occupied by thirty-one large 
tobacco presses, which were stored in it, divided 
equally among us, would give to each man less than 
five feet in which tQ " spread himself," counting out 



48 FOUETEEN MONTHS 

the space occupied by the presses, there were not 
more than four feet of room to each. If ^ve reckon 
the hight of the room to be eight feet, there would 
be a total of 19,200 cubic feet of aii* in the apartment, 
or about 40 to a man. A healthy man is estimated 
to consume 500 cubic inches of air in one night. The 
only ventilation Avas by means of the crevices of the 
walls, the windows not being allowed to be raised, 
except as they were occasionally slipped up an inch 
or two, when the guard was not particularly atten- 
tive. The privies were constructed in the Northeast 
corner of each room, without doors, and were entered 
through an open window. Water was fm'nished 
through pipes and facets from the James river. The 
stench from the privies, Avhich came constantly into 
the room, together with the dampness caused by 
water drizzling from the wash sink, and from the cups, 
into which it was drawn to be drank, and our crowded 
state, filled the aii* with poison, and rendered our 
physical systems doubly susceptible of diseases and 
contagion. 

The Pemberton jjrison was likewise a .tobacco 
warehouse just south of the Smith, and fronting upon 
the same street, its end being on the Libby street. 
There was just room enough between the Smith and 
Pemberton for the guard to walk. Opposite to the 
Smith was the Scott prison, also a tobacco ware- 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 49 

•house. These buildings were so high and so near 
each other as totally to exclude the light and heat of 
the sun, for the greater part of the day, from the 
prisoners confined upon the first floor. 

From the southwest windows of the Smith, where 
our party was confined, the Libby prison, in which 
our officers were kept, could easily be seen. It is a 
large building with four floors, including the base- 
ment^ The two floors on which prisoners were at 
that time confined, fronted on a street running paral- 
lel with the canal on the bank of the James, and 
extended back to the canal itself On the l^orthwest 
corner was a sign which read "Libby and Son, Ship 
Chandlers and Grocers." There were forty windows 
visible to us, in front, some of which were secured 
with iron bars, while others were tightly boarded up. 
Across a few old blankets had been stretched, but there 
were several that were open to the winds and storms. 
Of the interior economy of this prison we had no 
opportunity of informing ourselves ; we knew om^ offi- 
cers to be confined there, from seeing them occasionally 
at the windows in their uniform; their pale, haggard 
faces indicated that their fare was none of the most 
sumptuous, while it was a common report that they 
were confined in dungeons for the most trifling 
ofiences. 

The cooking for the prisoners was all performed in 



50 FOUETEEN MONTHS 

tlie lower rooms of the Libby. From each of the 
twenty messes, into which the men on our floor were 
divided, one man was daily detailed to go to the Libby 
for rations. In going there we passed directly under 
the end windows of the prison, and our ofiicers fre- 
quently dropped a Richmond paper among us, en- 
closing a letter directed to their friends at home, to 
be carried North by the first one of our number who 
might chance to be exchanged. In this manner a 
letter containing particulars, would sometimes be 
smuggled through the lines, when, if sent by flag of 
truce, it would have been destroyed. If the guards 
detected an ofiicer dropping such papers to the men 
and recognized him, he was at once placed in confine- 
ment on half the usual rations. 

Our rations were issued to us at very irregu- 
ar intervals of time. They consisted of h'llfaloaf 
of wheat bread and a small piece of yellow bacon, in 
which the worms were holding high carnival. Though 
so unfit for eating, our appetites had become sharp- 
ened by the small suj^ply until we devoured this 
living food with the greed of wolves. In place of the 
bacon we sometimes received beef. According to 
the Richmond Examiner, seventy-five bullocks were 
daily slaughtered for the use of the prisoners. This 
seems a large amount of meat to be consumed, but 
according to the rebel estimate, there, were 14,000 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 51 

prisoners in Richmond at that time, and allowing 250 
pounds as the average weight of a bullock, and that 
the meat was served regularly once in three days, 
instead of daily, as was actually the case, it would 
give a daily allowance of less than four ounces per 
man. But this is an over estimate. The author pre- 
vious to entering the service was accustomed from 
boyhood to weigh meat in a retail market, and hence 
miglib* be considered a competent judge of the weight 
of a quantity of beef, whether in a large or small 
piece, and he would solemnly aver that he never re- 
ceived as a three days' ration, more than two ounces; 
and his fare was not more stinted than that of his 
fellow prisoners. The loaves of bread weighed 18 
ounces short, half of one of these was the allowance 
for one day. Our rations, then, were 9 ounces of 
bread and 2-3 of an ounce of beef daily; this fare, 
when followed up for weeks and months, certainly 
had no tendency to excite corpulency among us. 

Our first exercise in the morning was the roll call 
which was performed by a fussy, conceited individ- 
ual from iN'ew York, named Ross. After roll call, 
we were formed in four ranks and counted to make 
sure that no one had escaped. If the number was 
found all right, the exercise was soon over, but if by 
chance the roll-call man made a mistake in counting, 
which he was quite likely to do, or if any one h^d es- 



52 FOUETEEJT MONTHS 

caped, we were compelled to stand in line until the 
whole prison had been searched and all the prison- 
ers recounted, a j)rocess requiring usually ahout six 
hours. If after all, the missing man could not be 
found, our rations were cut off for a day or two, to 
compel us to divulge the manner of the escape, of 
which, in most cases, the majority was totally ignor_ 
ant. It seemed rather hard treatment to be compelled 
to fast two days for our inability to communicate 
what we knew nothing about. 

Of course w^e were all under the necessity of j^rac- 
tising the closest economy in our food, and in the 
occupancy of the floor also. In this latter particular, 
our four square feet of room led us to exercise the 
greatest regularity in all our movements. We formed 
five columns lengthwise of the floor, when Ave all, at 
the word, proceeded to lie down in line, our fcer and 
legs webbed or woven in with those in the next col- 
umn, and so closely together that it was impossible 
to stir without disturbing our neighbor. When one 
moved, all moved. All in the same file were obliged 
to lie on the same side, and when they became tired 
and wished to change, the order was given " to the 
right, or left, over — turn." It was impossible to lie 
upon our backs at all ; there was not room enough. 
Considering that we had no blankets to put under or 
over us, and that the floor was usually damp from the 



IN SOUTHEEN PEISONS. 53 

' frequent washings we were compelled by tlie guard to 
give it, — there being no heat, either natural or artificial 
to dry it, meantime, it will readily be seen that our 
sleeping arrangements were none of the most comfort- 
able. In fact, we slept under the greatest difficulties. 

A regular daily skirmish was kept up with the ver= 
min of the place. In less than a week after our 
arrival, these parasites made such hostile demonstra- 
tions, that it required the very best of Generalshij) to 
maintain the mastery of the situation. They rallied 
by squads, companies and regiments, and charged 
our lines in whole corps. By dint of perseverance 
and constant watchfulness we kept their numbers so 
reduced that no one was captured, though many were 
severely wounded. If the Confederacy could re-in- 
force their armies as rapidly as these vermin increased, 
the Yankees would soon be overwhelmed and the 
Stars and Stripes go down forever. 

The ravages of vermin, filth and hunger soon be- 
gan to appear, and, as if to tantalize us still more, 
our thoughts coukt run upon nothing but food. The 
strength of a hungry man's imagination is wonder- 
ful. The finest dishes which a French cook, par ex- 
cellence^ could invent, were garbage compared with 
the fancy cuisine of thbSe famished men. We had 
beef roast and steak, for substantials, oysters, lob- 
iter, &c., for side dishes^ and the pastry which we 



54 POUETEEK- MONTHS 

conjured up, was "beyond all comprehension, wonder- 
ful. After all had retired to our floor board for the 
night, the houi'S, till midnight, were spent in contem- 
plation of the luxuries we would have had for supper, 
if we had been at home, and many and hot were the 
discussions we held over these imaginary repasts. 
There is no tortm*e equal in intensity to this fierce 
longing for food. It consumed our strength; we 
became dizzy-headed ; there was a hollow ringing in 
our ears ; our voices became weak and husky ; our 
motions slow and monotonous ; our eyes glassy, and 
faces sallow and sharp; while the vulture within 
gnawed remorsely at our vitals. We could not stand, 
sit, or lie down with any cessation of this terrible 
craving, and we were fain to scramble and quarrel over 
the very crumbs that fell from om* scanty food upon 
the dirty floor, as ravenous wolves battle over the last 
morsel of flesh left upon a bone they have picked. 

Om* only hope was in release. The exact state of 
the exchange question, we did not fully understand, 
but previous to our capture, we knew that there was 
some difficulty growing out of the employment of the 
negro regiments ; and we had been told that until 
all Federal prisoners ii'respective of color, could be 
exchanged upon equal terms, the United States 
authorities had refused to continue the exchange upon 
the old cartel. We had faith enough in our govern- 



m SOtTTHEBK PEISONS. 55 

ment to believe that it would not let us suffer if it 
could honorably prevent it ; and we also had faith 
enough in its honor to believe that, once enlisted, 
under inducements of protection, in our army, the 
government would insist uj^on the negro prisoner 
being treated as well as a white man under the same 
circumstances. There was of course a difference of 
opinion among the prisoners in regard to the propriety 
or policy of enlisting the negro in the first instance, 
but no man caviled at his being protected after he 
had become a soldier. We should have felt that we 
could not trust our rulers at all, if they had left the 
captive colored soldier to the mercies of the enemy, 
and exj)ended all their care and protection upon us. 
We usually managed to obtain the Richmond dai- 
lies, but they were barren of news. Shut up in this 
den, with nothing to do or to read, we were forming 
habits the very reverse of the active Yankee charac- 
ter. The impulse to do something was still strong, 
and, in the absence of all other means of employing 
our time, we organized a debating society, with its 
President, Secretary, &c., and made speeches by 
Confederate gas-light. The subjects of discussion 
were as various as numerous. War schemes, j)lans 
of attack upon Richmond, the origin of the war, its 
probable duration, the status of the rebellious States 
when the war should be ended ; foreign and domestic 



5Q POXJRTEEK MONTHS 

policy, abolition, Jeff. Davis, and a thousand and one 
topics, were considered and gravely decided, upon 
" merits " and " weight of argument." Many of the 
predictions by these private prophets have since been 
verified, though most, alas ! of those who made them, 
lie beneath the turf at Andersonville. Occasionally 
the debates were omitted, and lectures and extem- 
poraneous sjDeeches substituted in their place. Mr. 
John Smith of the 1st O. V. I., gave us a fine off-hand 
lecture on moral culture, and I had the honor one 
evening *' to define my position " upon the best meth- 
ods of cultivating bees. Others chose political topics, 
while others still, lectured upon matters connected 
with science or art. But like all things in Southern 
Prisons, except misery, our intellectual growth was 
stopped, the guard having orders to prohibit further 
discussion, and we abandoned these " feasts of rea- 
son " as we had already abandoned those of a grosser 
kind. This forced us back upon the exchange ques- 
tion again, and wherever there was a group, there 
the words " exchange *' and "parole " Were the most 
used. The 1st of November was arglled by the san- 
guine, as the limit of our imprisonment, and the guard 
confii'med the prophecy. The Richmond papers, 
however, announced that 10,000of the prisoners were 
soon to be sent to Lynchburg and Danville, where 
provisions were more easily to be obtained. We 



IlSr SOUTHEElSr PEISONS. 57 

hesitated to believe this, as it looked suspiciously 
towards a long winters campaign, and that we did 
not wish to "believe in." 

One day we had an episode to relieve the tedium 
and monotony of our hungry existence. Some of the 
" boys " in prying into one of the tobacco presses, 
discovered a box of choice pressed tobacco, which 
had evidently been forgotten by the owners in the 
hurry of evacuating the premises. By loosening a 
screw in the press, the treasure lay revealed. The 
news soon spread through the apartment, and the 
boys "went for it." They surrounded the box in 
swarms, each man clutching the precious waif, if he 
could reach it, or snatching it from the hand of a 
more successful competitor. Light men climbed upon 
the shoulders of stronger ones and plunged fiercely 
forward toward the box; but the tobacco was so 
tightly pressed that all their efforts were unsuccess- 
ful. The scramble continued for an hour or more 
with none but the most barren results, when a com- 
promise was agreed upon, and an orderly sergeant 
was selected to divide the treasure equally among 
the men. The matter was thus amicably settled and 
the division accordingly made. 

On one occasion, we ojDened a door that had been 
nailed up, for the purpose of getting a little fresh air, 
when a Richmond stripling in broadcloth and with 
5 



58 FOFETEEN MONTHS 

an air of simpering Importance, came in and ordered 
tlie door fastened again, at the same time threatening 
US witli rations of bread and water for two weeks, if 
we ever dared re-open it. We gravely informed him 
that his threat was useless, for we had become so 
accustomed to that diet, that an addition of a little 
more of the same sort would be thankfully received. 
He evidently had not sufficient brains to appreciate 
the jest, though at the same time he could see evi- 
dences of bread and water diet all around him. The 
door was not again disturbed, and we saw his face 
no more. 

Two men in our prison, managed to trade with the 
guard for suits of gray clothing, which they put on 
after dark, one evening, and assuming an air of great 
importance, went to the door and announced them- 
selves as members of the police, claiming a right to 
pass out. The guard allowed them to go out, and 
they departed on their way rejoicing. Whether they 
succeeded in making their escape we never knew. 

In the early part of IsTovember, the prisoners con- 
fined in the Pemberton building, cut a hole through 
the walls and floor of the prison and opened commu- 
nication with a cellar, in which a large quantity of 
commissary stores, consisting of sugar and salt, had 
been placed. After dark a regular detail was made, 
each man of the detail taking a bag or haversack and 



IX SOUTHERN PRISONS. 59 

packing it full before returning. The utmost caution 
was observed lest by making a noise, the attention of 
the guard might be called to the fact. For a number 
of nights these foraging expeditions were carried on 
successfully, and so much had accumulated upon the 
hands of the prisoners, that they opened a contra- 
band trade with the guard, receiving tobacco and 
bread in exchange lor sugar and salt. The guards 
knew^very well, from the first, where the sugar and 
salt came from, but so long as they could drive a good 
bargain, they did not divulge the secret. The 
" business " was, however, accidentally discovered by 
an outsider, but not until some |35,000 worth had 
been abstracted. All kinds of reports were then put 
in circulation relative to the punishment to be inflicted 
upon the perpetrators of this " outrage ; " among 
others that all the money taken from us on our arri- 
val in Richmond would be confiscated ; that enough 
would be deducted from our rations to make pay- 
ment ; that we would be the very last to be exchanged, 
&c., &c. Kothing, however, came of it, as far as I 
knew. 

The small pox broke out among us a few days after 
our arrival in Richmond. It made its first appearance 
upon the person of one of our men who had been infect- 
ed with it, by a Confederate soldier, passing through 
Atlanta, and it soon spread with great rapidity. 



60 i'OtJBTEEK MOKTHS 

Kot being acquainted, with the symptoms of this dis- 
ease, none of ns knew at the time what it was. In a 
few days a dozen or more were taken to the hospital. 
They never retm*ned, and we knew not whether they 
recovered or died. It was currently reported among 
us, that the Rebels took care that those who were 
confined in the hospital should never recover ; but 
this, like many other stories afloat, was undoubtedly 
false. It served, however, to excite a dread of hos- 
pitals, and nerved the men to suffer in silence rather 
than exj^ose themselves to the danger of removal, 
in consequence of which they were not taken away 
from prison, until too far gone with the disease to 
recover from it. A few pills were occasionally left 
with the " sergeant of the floor" to be distributed 
among those who desii-ed to take medicine. They 
were seldom called for by the men, and of course 
were in no way beneficial. 

Being debarred from all open communication with 
the world, Ave of course knew nothing of what was 
transpiring outside of our prison-walls, except when 
we could fall secretly upon a Richmond paper. These 
gave us, on our arrival, glowing accounts of the 
wonderful and brilliant victory at Chickamauga, and 
some time afterwards, mentioned the nice " little af- 
fair at Missionary Ridge," in which they conceded 
superior generalship on the part of the "Yankee com- 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 61 

mander." Nearly every paj^er had some remarks to 
make upon the treatment of the prisoners, and par- 
ticularly recommended that all the meat allowed 
them, be withdrawn, in order that the citizens might 
obtain it, at lower figures in the market. In one of 
the papers was quite a lengthy article ujDon the gen- 
eral appearance, &c., of the prisoners. It seemed 
that some Baltimorean of riotous memory, had been 
payiifg us a visit, and airing his opinions of us. Frora 
his knowledge of the groveling nature of the Yankee, 
he was prepared to find the Federals dirty, filthy and 
lazy, too lazy to keep their persons clean, or to clean 
their rooms. He did not mention yrhether in his ex- 
perience of Yankee character^ they became hungry 
on three ounces of bread a. day, or were of that pecu- 
liarly filthy nature, th-^c can keep itself clean without 
soaj). Undoubtecliy the nice Baltimorean would have 
been the saine exquisitely nice man in a mud puddle, 
but all men, and among them Yankees, not being of 
gentle blood, could not keep themselves clean with- 
out some means of doing so. 

Just about daylight on the morning of the 14th of 
November, we Avere formed in rank and counted; the 
door was unbolted, and we passed out, each man as 
he stepped into the street receiving a small loaf of 
heavy corn bread. Guards were stretched on either 
side of the street through which we marched to the 



62 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

Danville Railroad bridge, near which the head of the 
column halted, for the last of the men to get out of 
the building, and " close up." We knew nothing of 
our destination, until we reached the Danville depot. 
All were expecting that we were en route for City 
Point. The train awaited us and we were soon aboard 
in readiness for another ride through the Southern 
Confederacy at the public expense. Our train was 
long and heavy, the engine light, and the grade 
ascending. In consequence the train was soon at a 
stand still, and a messenger sent back to Richmond for 
help. We could plainly see Belle Island with its tents 
and prisoners. This island was then used as a place 
of punishment for Federal prisoners, who had been 
guilty of various petty offenses as well as for the un- 
pardonable crime of attempting to escape starvation 
in the regular Confederate way. A more extended 
notice of this place of horrors will be given here- 
after. 

The Railroad from Richmond to Danville runs 
through a gently rolling country, and was in a fino 
condition. Petersburg junction is the largest place 
on the hue, and that is of no importance except as a 
Railroad junction. Previous to our leaving Rich- 
mond, and as soon as we had learned it was probable 
that we should be sent either to Lynchburg or Dan- 
ville, I constructed a map of the country between 



IN SOUTIIEUN PRISONS. <J3 

Ilichmorid and those two places, and also a map in- 
cAuding the rivers and mountains between East Ten- 
nessee and those points; and a third, between those 
points and Gauley Bridge. This was a precaution 
jjecessary in any attempt to escape, in fact, indispen- 
Hible ill the undertaking. There seemed to be no 
Confederate troops stationed along the railroad, and 
the authorities evidently regarded them safe from 
raids. The distance to Danville is one hundred and 
forty miles, and ought to have been made before sun- 
down, but owing to the heavy grades in the road, 
and the inadequacy of the locomotive, only about 
lialf the distance had been passed over, at that hour. 
At dusk it commenced to rain, and by eight o'clock 
it i)Oured down in torrents, continuing until near 
morning, and growing much colder all the time. 
When the cars were within six miles of Danville, the 
train was again " stalled," and was compelled to stop 
two or three hours. While standing here, I went to 
llie door, found the guards half asleep, and passed 
out upon the ground. It was very dark and the rain 
was yet pouring. I debated for some time whether 
it were best to attempt my escape here or not. My 
first thought was to run for my liberty, but upon re- 
flection I abandoned the project. I was very weak 
and suffering from disease and close confinement; it 
was i-aining very heavily, the streams were swollen, 



6 1 FOURTEEN MONTHS IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 

the roads muddy, the fields and grass wet ; the cold 
weatlier had just set in and I had no clothing to pro- 
tect me except the blouse and pants I wore. The 
nearest point to our lines was two hundred miles, 
through the enemy's country, totally unknown to me. 
I had maps but no compass. If I tried to escape I 
wished to be successful, for I dreaded being caught, 
and returned to Castle Thunder. It would have been 
an easy matter to get ten or fifteen miles away, but 
beyond that all was dark and doubtful ; I therefore 
returned quietly to the car. Several of my comrades 
attempted to escape that night, but owing to the 
severity of the rain, they were all re-taken and brought 
back. We reached Danville on the morning of the 
loth of November, having been just twenty-four 
hours on our trip from liichmond. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Danville— Prisons Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6— Writing Letters Home— 
Occupflition of Time— Small Pox— Receipt of Eations and Cloth- 
ing by Flag of Truce — How Appropriated and Issued — Hospital — 
Express Boxes — Tunneling — Handicraft — Incidents — Newspaper 
Reports— Exchange — Removal to Georgia. 

Danville is a fine town situated on tlie south bank 
of the Dan river, near the boundary line between 
Yii'ginia and l^orth Carolina, a little northeast of 
Greensboro, in the latter State. It is a place of some 
two thousand inhabitants, contains a Female Semi- 
nary, a Cotton and Woolen Factory, a Foundry, 
Arsenal, several Saw and Grist Mills, and a large 
number of fine brick residences. The river closely 
resembles the James in some important features, 
being both wide and rapid — and, from the latter cir- 
cumstance, furnishing excellent water power. It is 
spanned by a long, covered bridge to accommodate 
highway travel, and also by a railroad bridge. The 
country gradually rises into considerable hight from 
the river banks on either side, and the village stands 
upon a hill sloping Northeastwardly to the river. 



66 FOUETEEN MONTHS 

Appearances indicfited that, at some previous time, 
Danville had been a place of considerable business 
importance, in which the staple product of Virginia 
constituted the chief article of traffic. A great num- 
ber of extensive vrarehouses were here built for the 
storage and manufacture of tobacco. But with the 
Avar business declined, and at the time of our impris- 
onment, the village presented an appearance of 
general desolation. 

The Richmond 23apers had announced to us that 
great preparations had been made at Danville for our 
reception, but we discovered upon our arrival, that 
so far from this being true, not even rations were 
provided. The tobacco warehouses were the only 
provision visible, and to these we were in due time 
px'esented. One train load of prisoners had been 
forwarded on the lith, and were stationed in ;i large 
brick warehouse near the foundry and the river, 
called prison Xo. 1. Our party was placed in a 
wooden structure on the opposite side of the street — 
also a tobacco warehouse, and named prison Xo. 2. 
Xo. 3, a short distance West of Xo. 2, was next filled, 
then Xos. 4 and 5. Xo. 6 was subsequently occupied 
by prisoners from Xo. 2, which was vacated to ac- 
commodate the guard, bemg in a more central posi- 
tion and consequently of more importance in case of 
an outbreak. I shall limit mvself to an account of 



IN SOUTIIEllN PRISONS. 67 

the prison in which I was confined, but as in essen- 
tials they will not differ materially, a description of 
one prison will equally aj)ply to all. 

We were marched into prison No. 2 on the morn- 
ing of Sunday,Nov. 15th, 1863. As soon as the ranks 
were broken and we were at liberty to wander at 
will, after selecting my " place" and depositing my 
bed, which consisted of an old dirty haversack with- 
out a crumb in it, near the Southwest corner of the 
second floor, beneath a window, where I might 
obtain a sufficient supply of air and light, I carefully 
reconnoitered the " position." The building was 
found to consist of three full floors and a garret, the 
latter of considerable importance as the event proved. 
Nothingof particular moment, however, developed 
itself except the dirt and dust which had accumu- 
lated, and the only advantage of this consisted in the 
fact that until it became trodden down, it helped to 
soften the rigorous hardness of the boards on which 
we were to sleep. The " establishment " being 
noted, I next took a survey ot the town and sur- 
roundings from the window. Upon the Northeast 
the Dan river with its long bridges, the mills situated 
upon its banks and their lazy wheels moving monot- 
onously, could be seen. Beyond the stream was a 
fine cottage, apparently the abode of affluence and 
happiness, and it was pleasant in the long lonesome 



68 FOUETEEX MONTHS 

days, to sit at the \nndow and look out upon that 
cottage and fancy the comforts and luxuries of its 
inmates, so strongly contrasted with the dirt and 
starvation around in our midst. 

The prison was not furnished with either stoves or 
fireplaces, — a deprivation little notic ed, however, from 
the fact that no fuel was given us. We had been 
promised both fuel and stoves sufficient to warm the 
rooms, but that part of the programme was not car- 
ried out ; and it had never been the design to do so, 
as subsequent events fully proved. A few minutes 
after the door was closed, while standing on the first 
tloor, near a front window which had been boarded 
up, I overheard two of the rebel commissioned officers, 
who were slowly passing the spot, conversing upon 
prison matters, when one of them said to the other, 
" We xow have theii, wheee, with the si: verity 

OF THE climate AXD HAESH TEEATMEXT, XATUEE WILL 
DO ITS WOEK FASTEE THAN THE BULLET." This fear- 
ful annoimcement made my blood run cold ; but I 
tried to quiet my apj^rehensions, by reflecting that 
these were but subordinate officers, and, like too 
many of that class, gave utterance to then* own feel- 
ings, instead of expressing the views of the govern- 
ment under wliich they held theii' commissions. The 
inhuman treatment we afterwards received, however, 
showed that they were quoting tlie Richmond aathor- 



IN SOUTHERN PEISONS. 69 

ities, whose deliberate plan it was to render such as 
unfortunately fell into their hands unfit for further ser- 
vice, and to attempt to throw the responsibility there- 
fore uj^on natural agencies. We had received no food 
since leaving Smith prison, two days before, and many 
of the men were so nearly famished that upon drawing 
their last ration in Richmond, without looking to their 
future needs, they had devoured it all upon the spot. 
Two days of total abstinence from food, will not afiect a 
well feci man with any great degree of inconvenience ; 
but to one who has been kept upon less than quarter 
rations for ^many weeks, the consequences of a de- 
privation of all nourishment for forty-eight hours, are 
indescribable. Here we were, however, locked in 
with bolts and bars, and guarded with rebel bayon- 
ets, in a helpless condition, and if they chose to starve 
us, they had the power to do so. About 9 o'clock in 
the evening, a small half-baked loaf of what pur- 
ported to be wheat bread was given to every two 
men. To live long on such an allowance was utterly 
impossible, and rather than die by inches in this 
most horrible of forms, we determined that it would 
be better to break down the prison doors and rush 
out upon the guard, even though every man should 
perish. The choice lay between a short pang and a 
prolonged agony — ^the end would be the same; We 
concluded to defer the desperate project for a few 



^0 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

days, lioping that in tlie meantime cm* fare would be 
improved, since suitable preparation migbt not have 
been made for our reception, because we arrived upon 
Sunday, and our numbers were somewhat uncertain. 
No improvement having taken place for the three 
days following, on the evening of N'ovember 19th, 
we organized three squads of twenty-five strong men 
each, to break prison, overpower the small guard, 
and push with all sj)eed for East Tennessee or Gau- 
ley Bridge. 

Dm-ing the day one of the boards of the first floor 
was removed, and an opening made into the cellar, 
in which were stored several tobacco j^resses and 
some twenty hogsheads of stem tobacco, and holes 
were chiseled through the brick partition walls which 
separated the ells of the building from the main part. 
The apartments beneath these ells, like those of the 
main cellar, were used for storing machinery for 
tobacco manufacture ; each of which contained a 
door opening inward. Between the two ells on the 
Northeast side was a door leading into the street. 
We removed all the screws from the lock, except 
one, which was left to hold the door in its place until 
^e were ready to go out. It had been loosed so that 
no difficulty might be occasioned in its removal after 
dark. Nine p. M. was the hour appointed for us to 
be in readiness. Twenty-five men were posted at 



IN SOUTHEEN PRISONS. 1l 

each of the two front entrances, and twenty-five at 
the cellar door. I was stationed below with a squad 
ot ten to be in readiness for any emergency. One of 
the front entrances was a door secured by a cross 
bar, and when this was removed the door, being a 
double one, was readily swung inward; the lock had 
been removed from the other door, as previously de- 
scribed. The signal for the outbreak was to be the 
call of the sentinel, " Mne o'clock, and all's well." 
The break from the three doors was to be made simultan- 
eously, and the six guards seized and secured ; when 
a rush was to be made for the, guard-house, a short 
distance off, and the reserve guard with their arms 
to be captured. But the man w^ho volunteered to 
remove the cross-bar, either through carelessness or 
fright, dropped the bar, making so loud a noise that 
the sentinels became alarmed, and an additional 
guard was ordered out, when the idea of escape at 
that time, was considered impracticable and the 
project abandoned. 

I then thought that it would be impossible success- 
fully to conduct any enterprise requiring secrecy, 
among a mixed number of prisoners, especially where 
it involved an extensive plan of operations ; since 
where all entered upon the undertaking voluntarily, 
no one would have authority to compel each to per- 
form his part, if necessary in spite of all personal 



12 POUETEEN MOIfTHS 

risks ; and I determined that I would never again 
engage in any general plan of escape. But I firmly 
believe, if I had escaped that night, the weather was 
so favorable for the succeeding two weeks, that I 
could have reached our lines at Gauley Bridge or in 
East Tennessee, in safety. 

On the morning of the 20th, the first Federal pris- 
oner died in Danville. He w^as reduced to a skele- 
ton. His last words were, "Boys, if I only could 
have something to eat, I could live." 

For a few days after this, our bread rations im- 
proved slightly and beef was added to the mess, but 
like everything rebellious, it was " too good to last." 
We soon returned to our scanty and ill-cooked food. 
Incredible as it may apjoear, I have divided among 
sixteen men a piece of meat containing not more 
than eight cubic inches, for a day's ration. Such a 
piece would not weigh more than half a pound. Our 
wheat bread lasted for a short time, when a kind of 
black, bitter stufi^, made of what was called Richmond 
middlings, was substituted. This was so badly 
baked and so sour, that it made many of the prison- 
ers ill, inducing dysentery and nausea. Our aj)pe- 
tites sharpened with the scantiness of the fare, and 
"Vve were fortunate if we could catch a rat for food. 
A hogshead of old wheat bran was found in the 
cellar and greedily devoured by the famishing men. 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. T3 

Such was the liberality of a people fighting for sacred 
rights, as they call them, towards prisoners taken in 
a war which they claim to have conducted purely 
upon Christian principles ! 

In addition to these discomforts, we were compelled 
to avoid all approach to the windows by the reckless- 
ness of the guard outside the prison, who, ui^on the 
slightest indication of a man at them, fired recklessly 
into tiie building. Our windows were riddled by 
the balls thus fired at us, and the beams and timbers 
of the several apartments, filled with them. This 
piece of tyranny was uncalled for and unnecessary, 
for no one, in his senses, would have had the temerity to 
attemjDt escape through a window, in daylight and in 
full view of the guard. One poor fellow in number 
five, oj^ened a window in the uj)per room and thrust his 
head out to breathe a little fresh air after his confine- 
ment during the night in the close apartment, and 
not hearing the Avarning of the guard to draw back, 
was fired upon and instantly killed, being shot through 
the head. Very few casualties occurred from this 
firing, the "boys," when they perceived the sentinels 
making ready to fire, calling out " lie down," when 
all would fall upon the floor and the balls passed 
harmlessly over their heads. 

About this time, a new roll of our names was made, 
after which we were searched and our case knives, 
6 



74 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

pocket knives, spoons, scissors, watches, gold and 
silver rings — everything in short that conldbefonnd, 
possessing any value, except our clothes, were taken 
from us. Many of the watches were hidden in the cell- 
ing, previous to the search, and saved. Some saved a 
fcAV greenbacks by rolling them tightly and placing 
them in the boAvl of their pipes, and covering them 
with tobacco which was then lighted. Others packed 
their bills in their blouse buttons which they opened 
for the purpose. But the rebels could not rob us of 
much money after we had been once searched. The 
" Yanks " were generally sharp enough for them, so 
far as they had tools to work with. Had we known 
that our case knives and spoons were to be taken 
iVom us, we could have secreted them, also ; but we 
sn2:)posed that they were safe from " confiscation," 
otherwise how could we be expected to be able to cut 
and prepare our meat ration ? we were completely 
out-generaled in this respect here. ])Ut it seemed 
from what followed that their plan was too deep for 
our penetration ; for after this, the quantity of meat 
served to each man, a\ as so small that no knife was 
necessary to cut it into proper dimensions for eating — 
a stragetic point in economy we ^vovc not able tlien 
to foresee. 

Soon after this, permission was given us to send 
letters to our friends, by flag of truce. Many im- 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 75 

])rovc(l llic opj)ortnnity to send for Ijoycs of [)rovis- 
ions, while some, diHtriiHtiiig llic Confederate 
AuthoriticH, preferred tluit their friends at tlie North 
sliould keep tlieir "i^ood things," rather tlian tliat 
i]w,y sliould fall into om- (snomy's hands. It was, 
however, some satisfaction to ])e perniitted to corres- 
pond with our IViends, even though we could only 
describe our health, in the briefest })0ssil)le manner. 

Beiijg deprived of oiu; convcmiencies Ibr eating, 
iKicessity, the reputed mother of invention, soon called 
out the ingenuity of the Yankee mind. Before the 
odicials discovered it, we had torn in pieces thetobacco 
])r(^sses and the hogsheads, using the l)olts, sheet- 
iron and tin of the former for hammers, punches, 
saws, cups, pails and plates, while seats and fire- 
wood were made of the staves of the lattei*. It was 
too late to rectify the evil when the authorities dis- 
(^overed wliat we had been doing ; they, therefore, 
made the l)est of a bad matter and let us go on. The 
sound of (diuking ii'on could b(! heard from c^arly 
moni till sunset, in manufacturing the vai-ionsartichis 
which the boys busied themselves about. 

The old practice of" skirmishing," which had been 
(%arried on at Richmond, soon had to ])(Mncor])orated 
with th(Mhiily tacti(\s at this ])la(!e. '^riie water we 
used (JHUK^ from the Dan Ivivei', in small (piantities, 
such as could be brought in pails, by a detail, which 



16 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

performed its duties as often as they were permitted 
Iby the guard, but in insufficient quantities for any but 
drinking purposes. In consequence our clothes were 
unwashed. My own, Avhich were a fair sample of the 
rest, were not cleansed for one hundred and fifty days, 
because I could procure neither soap nor water to 
wash them with ; and even if we could have washed, 
we had no fires by which to dry them, and no change 
to put on while they could dry in the air — the sun 
did not shine in prison No. 2 — and if we once wet 
them, there was no alternative but to dry them upon 
our persons. This process would have been uncom- 
fortable and dangerous, in a December atmosphere 
in a room without fires. The Richmond papers seemed 
> to make a jest of our filthy condition, and the moral 
which they drcAV from owr personnel was, " the natu- 
rally groveling tendency of the Yankee race." 

About this time the small pox broke out. But little 
notice was at first taken of the fact by the authori- 
ties, and I have known as many as eighteen patients 
lying helpless upon the filth and dirt of the bare 
prison floor, without medicine, without food, without 
blankets, till their flesh dropped in decayed lumps 
from their bodies ; while no efibrt w^as made to remove 
them, or alleviate their suiferings. And all this time 
the other prisoners were in constant contact with 
them, sleeping side by side with them, and inhaling 



IX SOUTHEKX PKTSOXS. 77 

the vile stench of this loathsome disease. In con- 
sequence, all Avho could be infected, were more or 
Ie8S severely attacked, Avhile many who had been 
vaccinated were brought down with varioloid. 
About the first of January, I was promoted to the 
position of hospital attendant, and had charge to 
some extent of the sick and medicines of our 
prison. A small pox hospital w^as meanwhile estab- 
lished, and a detail of men who had had the disease, 
was made to nurse the sick. By giving strict atten- 
tion to each case as fast as it appeared, and removing 
the infected at once to the hospital, the disease w^as 
finally suj^pressed, and did not make its appearance 
again in our prison after the fifth of January, although 
it was still raging in the others. This was the only 
contagious disease among the prisoners to which onr 
diet was favorable. We received no fat meat and no 
salt, and in these two particulars our treatment by 
the rebels Avas highly sanitary, whether it was by 
design or accident. 

While on the train from liichmond, I read in a 
paper of the i 4th November, that fourteen tons of 
clothing and rations had been received at City Point 
by flag of truce, from the IT. S. Sanitary Commission, 
for distribution among the prisoners. The clothing, 
it was stated, consisted of 12,000 complete uniforms 
which would be distributed immediately. It was noW" 



YS FOllKTEEN MONTHS 

the 1st of Deceiiiber, and tlie weatlier was extremely 
cold. We had no blankets, and our clothing was 
thin and nearly worn out. AVe all looked forward to 
the issue of our thick, comfortable, clean clothes with 
the greatest eagerness, although our ardor was some- 
what dampened by the foreboding that the supply of 
new clothes intimated a distant day of exchange. 
Yet we could not quite make up our minds that Ave 
were to be left in our present condition, and hoped 
at least that our Government would force an early 
exchange. The authorities trifled away three i:)re- 
cious weeks, after the clothing was received by them 
before any of it was issued — three long, anxious 
weeks to us Avho Avere nightly chilled in our tireless 
pen. There Avere at this time some 4,200 jjrisoners 
at Danville, — ^prisons Nos. 3, 4 and 5 having been 
filled. There Avas, as^had been intended, an entire 
ncAV suit for each man ; and if these had been prop- 
erly distributed there Avould still have been enough 
left to clothe the entire guard set over us. But Avith- 
out waiting to issue to us our share first, the guard 
proceeded to help themselves ; and sometime before 
anything Avas given to us, the rebel soldiers Avere 
seen wearing the great coats, jDants and shoes intend- 
ed for the prisoners, either with or without the com- 
plicity of the rebel authorities ; but certainly Avitli 
their knoAvledge, for no attempt Avas made to conceal 



IX SOUTIIEEN PEISONS. 79 

the fact. Among the number ofoiir guard were several 
wlio had participated in the mob attack upon our 
sokliers as they passed tln-ough ]3altimore in April, 
1801, apparently-selected as our overseers, on account 
of their known infamous character ; and these were 
the first to set the example of plunder from the Sani- 
tary stores, liichie Brady, and one or two others, 
will long be remembered by those who suffered under 
their barbarous treatment during that fearful winter 
of 1863-4. The clothing was issued to our prison on 
the 21th of December, but without any reference to 
the necessities of the recipients, for many who 
already had i:)assable clothes received full suits, while 
others Avhose uniforms Avere in tatters obtained only 
partial ones in their place. It is not too much to say 
that out of the 12,000 full suits sent to us, not over 
one half of the 4,200 prisoners obtained one complete ; 
the balance receiving one or two pieces, according 
to the whhn of the distributing officer. We were 
extremely grateful for what we did get, however. 

In the afternoon of this day, the occupants of prison 
No. 2 were transferred to No. 6. This prison was a 
tobacco warehouse one hundred feet long by forty 
wide, containing four full floors, built of brick and 
not very pleasantly situated, being further back from 
the river than the other prisons. Here each of us 
received our Christmas dinner, which consisted of 



80 FOUKTEEX MONTHS 

eight small pieces of luircl bread par man, besides the 
iisiial rations of black bread and beef. On one other 
occasion we received a ration of hard bread, some 
mess pork and white beans, and this was all we ever 
received of the 300,000 rations reported to have been 
sent to lis, by flag of truce. Of the j^resence of sugar, 
cofiee, kraut and vinegar we had no occular demon- 
stration. The other prisons received about the same 
quantity, and those returned from the hospital re- 
ported a similar state of things there. What became 
of the balance is not definitely known ; the presump- 
tion is that none of it was allowed to spoil. 

As soon as the clothing was distributed a sutler 
was sent into the prisons with rice, salt and tobacco, 
to barter for the prisoners' clothing. The table of 
prices he employed in the exchange of his goods was 
as follows: 
Articles (new.) Gov't Price. Sutler's Price. 

Pants .... $4 60 15 pounds Rice. 

Blouse 3 00 3 " " 

Overcoat 10 00 20 " " 

Blanket 3 60 18 " " 

Taking advantage of our necessities, this army 
vampire succeeded in wheedling their new clothing 
away from some of the thoughtless and imprudent 
prisoners, who preferred gratifying their present cra- 
vings to providing for future comforts. They were 



TN SOtJTHEEX PRISOXS. 81 

without doubt induced to exchange their clothing for 
food, by the prospect of a speedy release, a hope too 
often disappointed to be indulged in by any but the 
most sanguine. Through this want of foresight, many 
a brave fellow now lies in a prisoner's grave, who, by 
saving his clothing might have saved his life ; for 
subsequent exposure to sun and storm at iVnderson- 
ville bent many an unprotected form in death. I be- 
lieve I am safe in stating that two thirds of the cloth- 
ing and rations sent us from the North, found its way 
ultimately into the hands of the Confederate author- 
ities, either by direct stealing, or through the agency 
of their sutlers. 

In each of the prisons, a steward was appointed, 
whose duty it was to inspect every room daily and 
make a list of the sick who required medical treat- 
ment, at the same time ascertaining, as nearly as 
possible, the nature of the disease. The next morn- 
ing, he reported the list to the surgeon, bringing out 
to the door of the j^rison for examination those whose 
disorder he could not determine, and receiving med- 
icines to be given to those who remained. If uj^on 
examination, any were found too ill to be returned 
to the j)rison, they were placed in an, army wagon, 
which accompanied the surgeon for the jjurpose, and 
conveyed to the Hospital. The Hospital barracks 
were situated upon an eminence South of the town ; 



82 FOURTEEN 3I0NT1IS 

they Avero coiistriK'ted I'or tlie iiso tri' the prisoners, 
Avere warnuHl hy stoves, and contained good bnnks 
for sleeijing n})on. AYlien the sick arrived there they 
received as good treatment as conhl be expected nn- 
der the circunistances ; clean clothes, plenty of water 
and soap for batliing were furnished, and their food 
consisted of light Avheat bread, with a hash made of 
Irish or sweet potatoes and beef; their rations were 
cooked by prisoners detailed for the pm'pose. Upon 
the Avliole the authorities seemed to do all they could 
for the sick, and every one appeared satisfied Av4th 
the attention bestowed u})on them. It is pleasant to 
look back upon this, the almost only bright spot, in 
the gloom of the fourteen weary months I spent in 
their hands. 

About this time, we received an addition of soup 
to our daily rations of black bread. This was pre- 
pared under the supervision of a rebel Sergeant called 
Irish Pete. The cook house over which he })resided 
was located in a little wing on the North side of Prison 
No. 1. The establishment contained fonr large pot- 
ash kettles of about two barrels capacity. The soup 
was made by boiling black coav peas or musty rice in 
a liquor of meat, with sometimes, though seldom, a 
little cabbage thrown in. The j^risoners were divided 
into messes of from sixteen to twenty each. One 
man from each of these messes, went under guard. 



IN SOUTIIEKN miSONS. 83 

to ihv cook lioiiMc Avitli two pjiils lor ilic soii]>, Wlicn 
all the soiij) (;,'in-i(!rs liad (U)l]o(',to(l bclbri; llu! kettles, 
tliey were jnarclied to the river, wherci eaeli one wan 
re(j[uire<l to fill liis pails with water, aftcsr wliicli lie 
was marshaled l)ack to the cook house. The lirsl 
man in tlic line was then required to pour the freez- 
ing water into one of the kettles, whereupon his then 
empty pails were iilled with the compound, when he 
fell l)a(;k a lew ste[)S ; the next man then wentthi'oui^li 
the same process, and thus the rations Avert; served 
out through the whole lin(;. The (i[uality of the last 
mess was decidedly tliin, after undergoing so many 
dilutions; and there is no doubt tliat tlu; addition of 
some eighty pailfuUs of cold river water, detracted 
somewhat from its flavor. The foui- original kettles 
served for four thousand men ; or two barrels of 
water flavored with a decoction of buggy ])lack ])eas 
or musty rice, constituted a good part of one day's 
ratioJis for one thousand hungry men. Truly liere 
was fine i)ointed economy. 

About the latter part of Januaiy the boys began to 
receive replies to the letters they had sent to their 
friends, and soon after came the boxes of " good 
things." These boxes were first taken to the com- 
missary rooms where they were subjected to search, 
lest anything contraband of prison regulations might 
be concealed in them. This was a necessary precau- 



fi4 F0URTEEX MONTHS 

tioii, but unlorliiiuitcly the authorities, after taking- 
all the articles froiii the boxes and examining them 
critically, omitted to pnt back such trifling matters as 
the tea, coft'ee, sugar, canned fruit and clothing, which 
they contained ; an oversight for which, if there had 
l)een any efficacy in prisoners' oaths of condemna- 
tion, they would have been sent to fraternize Avith 
certain other rebels of Avliom mention is frequently 
made in Holy Writ. We were required to receipt 
lor cA^erything the boxes originally contained, and 
these receipts were returned to the authorities :H 
Washington ; and thus conclusive evidence was tiled, 
of the strict performance of their duty by the Con- 
federates. By this means they possessed themselves 
of the receipts for our boxes and their contents also ; 
a shrewd piece of dijjlomacy, and a kind in Avhich 
these lovers of freedom, the " nigger and llie last 
ditcli" have excelled for many years. Tliey began by 
borrowing money and repudiating their debts ; is it 
any w^onder that they should sink to the ]>rofound 
meanness of robbing prisoners of war of the little 
gifts of friends, designed to alleviate their wretched- 
ness and encourage their lioi)efulness, by the knowl- 
edge that they were remendjered at home. Nearly 
all the boxes sent us, wei-e examined and delivered in 
this manner, except tliose that were not delivered nt 
all. 



IN SOL'TIlEltN PRTHOXS. 85 

}*(;titioiJ.s had frequently been .scut, to the officM^r in 
f-ommranfl of the priBons to furnisli us with firewood; 
hut they were disregarded, and we were forced to 
remain in oui- cohl apartments, during the months of 
February and March, with no fire except on two oi- 
three occasions. In eAch of these months a load of 
tough oak wood was hauled us, in logs ten or twelve 
feet long. For a long time, jio axes were furnished 
us wit^i which to cut it into proper dimensions for 
burning, and we had no saws. It is presumed that 
the rebels supposed us to hhve iron fingers and 
muscles to pull the logs in pieces witli. Our mother 
wit came to our aid here as on many other occasions. 
From the iron bolts of the tobacco presses, we man- 
ufactured wedges with which, arid a great deal of 
perseverance, we succeeded in working up the wood 
i tito fine splinters. By means of a piecepf plate iron, 
holier thickness, we constructed a fire place, by sim- 
ply laying the iron, which was a follower in a press, 
upon bricks, to prevent burning the floor; while for 
a chimney we had the whole room. Oi' course when 
r)ur fires w.ere burning, we suffered from the smoke ; 
hut the heat was comfortable. The effect of so much 
smoke was to create sore eyes, and we were finally 
obliged to abandon the project of artificial heat alto- 
gether, and to return to the simpler method of form- 
ing a column of two ranks and marching about the 



86 POURTEEX J^rONTHS 

room until tlic old building sliook again ; nftor wliicli 
exercise, we would lie down as snugly as possible 
and try to sleep, renewing the exercise whenever 
during the night we became too cold to lie down 
longer. This j^orformance was attended with only 
one disadvantage ; it increased the demands of nature 
upon the commissary, and heightened the cravings 
of the hunger already famishing us. 

Tlie early part of February brought us encouraging 
news of a speedy release. The Richmond papers 
announced a special exchange already made, and 
predicted a return at once to the old cartel. This 
was the first exchange that had been made since our 
capture, and we clung to this forlorn plank — the only 
one we had upon which to place a hope of salvation, — 
with the tenacity of a drowning man. But about the 
middle of the month, news of a contrary character 
came. Tlie papers told us that " Beast Butler " had 
been appointed commissioner of exchange, with plen- 
ary powers, and that in consequence of this appoint- 
ment the plan was virtually abandoned ; for the Con- 
federate authorities would never consent to tveat with 
the " Brute." Bombastic threats of horrible treat- 
ment of the Federal prisoners were made, unless he 
were removed ; they were to l>e shipped to the scorcli- 
ing climate of Southern Georgia, where amid the 
marshes and swamps of that low country, the heat 



IX SOTJTIIEP.X PRISON'S. 87 

Jind mifxsmfi would accomplisli the fatal work faster 
than the bullet at the front ; that the United States 
Government would find itself mistaken if it thought 
it could force them to exchange a negro for a white 
man ; and that howmuchsoever tliey loved tlieir 
fi'iends, who were pining in the military dungeons of 
the North, they would let them rot there before 
they would submit to the dictations of the " JJeast." 
TJie ai;ticle closed by stating that it was now a ques- 
tion of time as to which Government would soonest 
yield, with much more to the same effect. The news 
filled us with the deepest gloom, for we came to the 
conclusion that if our Government had fixed upon a 
course of policy, it would " fight it out on that line," 
even if we were all sacrificed. 

The date of our release was now entirely beyond 
conjecture, and we made up our minds t^at the only 
way left to escape death was to escape fi-oni prison. 
All our thoughts were turned in this direction, and 
every method which ingenuity could suggest, was 
innnediately canvassed, and its merits duly weighed. 
On the evening of the 15th of January, a young man, 
named Williamson, had made good his escape from 
No. 0, by climbing down the high board fence tfiat 
enclosed the prison yard, the cross pieces of which 
formed a kind of ladder on the outside. As he reach- 
ed the ground he was challenged by the guard, but 



88 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

by a lew vigorous leaps, lie was soon out of sight in 
tlie clavkuess. The guard exploded a cap at him, but 
])y good fortune his piece was not discharged. His 
less fortunate companion, liowever, was captured as 
soon as he readied the ground. This success encour- 
aged us to follow the example, and nearly every day 
a man M'as missing at roll call; the secrecy and 
adroitness with which these escapes were effected, 
baHied every effort of the authorities to discover the 
means that were adopted, in making them. They 
even nailed two inch planks to within a few inches of 
the tops of the Avindows of tlie first, second and tliird 
floor, in their anxiety to prevent the boys from getting 
away from them. 

At the thne of the escape of the officers from the 
Libby at Richmond, a tunnel was being dug under 
Prison No. 5, which was subsequently completed and 
some seventy made their escape through it, nearly 
all of whom reached our lines in safety. In digging* 
tliese tunnels, many precautions were necessary, as 
our prisons were frequently examined, and unfor- 
tunately we had among us some men, who, for an 
extra ration, Avould divulge the secret to the guards. 
The Avhole enterprise, therefore, Avas known to but 
few. Another precaution was necessary in disposing 
of the earth removed, so as to leave no trace of it in 
sight. A corner of the prison was selected where » 



IN ROTITTTERX PnTHOKS. S9 

lioard was roinovcd from the floor, so tlmt tlie o\)orn^ 
lorn could pawH U[) and down without attra<;ting6bK;6r^» 
vation. (/hhc knivcH, whi(;h had been secreted at t?^'; 
time of tlic ^rand H(^arf;li, and CHcapod " (-onfiHoation," 
wore used for pickn, and lialf can teen h, for Rhovolw; 
ihoHO, to^ctficr witli Hinall boxoR for convoyiiif^ away 
tlio cai'tli, constitut(;d tho irnplomcnts for these cngin- 
<'(!ring cmtorpnsc'S. 'Jlio Iooho cartli waH thrown badk' 
\mdor»thc floors between the Hlee)>ers and cropM-'^ 
))ieees. 

The "liolf, " was dii^^ of tfie ])roper fli/.e, a littt*^ ' 
irjelined until so deep, (^^enerally four or hH' f(^et b6*-'' 
low th(i Riirfaee,)tbat the tliieknens of tlie earth ini^>:ht 
be HufTicicintly Htrong to Hiipport any biirdett that 
iniglit croB8 it in tlie Htreet above. It wan then'car^' 
ried far enouj^h horizontally to pass beyond the 
j/uard line and into some Htreet or field eonvenierlt' 
for eseape. The tunnels wereof various sizes, aeeord- 
in^ to the diligence and perseverance of the o]>era- 
tors. 'i'hat dnt( by the prisoners of No. 4 was wide 
and deep enough for two men to walk abreast in' it. ' 
l*risons No. '5, 4 and 6, liad begun similar tunnels sif '^^ 
about the name time. Those of 3 and n were nearly ' 
completed and that of 4, entirely so. '^i'he j>nsOnerH 
were waiting for a favorable night for escape, wh^A-'l 
some traitor in No. 6 reported to the authorities, and' 
they immediately put an end to farther proceedingw 
7 



90 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

in tliat direction. The discovery in No. C led to the 
immediate examination of the other prisons, ,\vhen 
all were disclosed. The prisoners were driven from 
the first floor at once, (it was midnight when they 
made examination), and a guard was put at the stair- 
Avay. A general hauling-uj) of the first floors ensued, 
and the whole of our mining operations exposed. The 
discovery of these excavations created no little ex- 
citement in Danville ; the j)apers gave them the name 
of " Morgan tunnels," claiming that we had borrowed 
the idea from Gen. Morgan, who had recently escaped 
from the Ohio Penitentiary. They gave us credit for 
being very industrious and persevering, and coun- 
seled the closest watching over the " Yankees." But 
in spite of all their precautions, men daily made their 
escape. One way in which this was efiected, was as 
follows : the wells in the prison yards became dry, 
and it was necessary for a detail to go, under guard, 
for water to the river, some twenty rods distant ; in 
going to which, we had to pass OA^er a stone culvert. 
If by straggling behind, or slij^ping suddenly to one 
side, one of the "boys" could evade the guard, 
he concealed himself in this culvert until night, 
when he'' went on his way rejoicing. A very few who 
had money, bought their way out through the guards. 
These guards were the North Carolina Militia, and 
many of them would have been good Union men, if 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 91 

they had dared. They often expressed to me their 
abhorrence of the treatment we suffered, and would 
have done something to alleviate our distress, but 
were so closely watched by military detectives, that 
they were compelled to be very cautious both in what 
they did and said. They frequently asserted a lack 
of faith in their ability to gain their independence, 
and many declared that they could not enjoy a greater 
degreoof liberty, even if the " Confederacy " should 
be established, than they had always enjoyed under 
the old flag. The boxes we had received by express, 
contained Cincinnati papers, which we were at a 
little pains to distribute among them, and they read 
with surprise the accounts of the prosperity of North- 
ern cities ; for they had not been accustomed to see 
any papers but their own, which, of course, contained 
nothing favorable to our side of the question. 

One of the worst enemies we had to contend with 
was idleness. To persons who have been all their 
lives accustomed to active labor, there can be nothing 
more wearisome than continual inaction. We had 
no physical exercise and nothing to read ; the little 
stock ofstories,— tales of our experience in our sev- 
eral campaigns, and eventful, or humorous incidents 
in our lives,— was soon exhausted. Nothing new 
transpired to attract our attention and furnish food 
for conversation and thought from day to day ; for 



92 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

each day's eA^ents were but a recurrence of those of 
the preceding ; and the time dragged itself monoto- 
nously along. This monotony at length became more • 
horrible than our imprisonment, and it often seemed 
that death would be a welcome change ; so utterly ex- 
liausted were we with this prostrating ennui. I 
would infinitely rather have been confined in the Ohio 
Penitentiary, for the same ofi'ence, where I could 
have been occupied, than have remained in the situ- 
ation I was placed in. Many of the prisoners were 
excellent mechanics ; in fact, representatives of all 
classes of society were among us, and under the 
influence of the monotony of our life, the ingenuity 
of each class began to develop itself It has before 
been stated that we liad made many kinds of tools 
for various purj^oses. A more particular account of 
the methods adopted in constructing these tools, may 
not be uninteresting. Our "raw material" was the 
old tobacco presses which were found in the cellar. 
We made saws of sheet iron, bolts and case knives. 
The teeth of the saws were cut with cold chisels, that 
were hammered out of bolts ; an d were then hardened 
to a proper degree, by heating and cooling. Drills 
were made of sewing and darning needles ; an up- 
right Avooden shaft was first fastened securely upon 
the top of the needle; uj^on this, and at right angles 
with it, were arms attached immoveably. The drill 



i:S SOUTHEKX PRISOXS. 93 

was put in motion by means of a bar through which 
the shaft was passed, in such a manner that it moved 
freely in a vertical direction ; to the ends of this bar 
a string was tied and fastened lirmly to the top of 
the axis, about which it then was coiled. The opera- 
tor then, by pressing down uj)on the bar, uncoiled 
the string at the same time, causing the drill to re- 
volve ; when the string was all uncoiled, sufficient 
momentum was imparted to the instrument to cause 
it to re-Avind in the opposite direction. By alternately 
bearing down and raising the bar, the drill Avas kept 
in constant motion, as long as the operator might 
desire. Files Averc constructed of bolts by means of 
the cold chisel ; and although the tools Avere made in 
a primitive manner, they Avere finished quite nicely, 
and Avere certainly very serviceable. These, Avith 
bits of glassj the pocket knives that escaped " con- 
fiscation" and bricks, used for j^olishing, constituted 
our chest of tools ; and the articles that Avere fash- 
ioned with their aid, Avere really very curious and 
very highly finished. 'No prisoner after his experi- 
ence in Southern prisons can ever doubt the A^eracity 
of Robinson Crusoe's narrative. 

With tHnkets that Ave had manufactured Ave 
bought of the guard an article called Laurel root. It 
is the root of a shrub that groAvs upon high places in 
various parts of the South, and when dried becomes 



94 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

very hard and suseeptiblo of a liigli polish ; the bones 
of the beef whicli Avns given U8 for rations, and which 
wore carefully preserved, together with the Laurel, 
formed the stock out of which Avere manufactured a 
great variety of articles. 

Every man noAV turned "tinker," and continued 
his labors as long as we remained in Danville. In 
passing from prison No. 6 to the soup-house, the noise 
in the other prisons reminded one of the busy hum of 
an extensive maclnne shoj^, so constant and untiring 
were the labors of those within. A person inside 
could not be heard, unless he spoke at the top of his 
voice, and the loud shouts, mingled with the click of 
hammers and the buzzing of saws were a Babel of 
discordant sounds. Of the articles manufoctured, 
the majority were linger rings, books, shirt studs, 
needles, toothpicks, spoons, buttons, pipes and 
pocket-knives, together Avith a great number of things 
engraved with war scenes and their mementos. The 
pocket-knives were made entirely of bone, except the 
rivets. The Lain*el pipes were ingeniously and 
laboriously carved, and many of the designs were 
extremely intricate, requiring weeks for their com- 
pletion. Time vras of secondary importance, and the 
more of it that could be spent upon one article, the 
better pleased the mechanic would be. Many a pipC' 
was made that'was very valuable as (i work of art. The 



IX SOUTHERN PRISONS. 95 

figures were all wrought in relief*, and many of them, 
representing human faces, dogs, buildings, battle 
scenes &c., exhibited marked features of artistic skill. 
After the men were all driven from the first story, 
some eight hundred were crowded together on the 
three uppermost floors, in each building. This was 
packing us pretty closely, but thus cramped, we re- 
mained until sent away from Danville to the South. 
To a'dd to our sufferings only six out of these eight 
hundred were allowed to pass below at one time. 
Those who desii'ed to go, were obliged to form 
in line and wait their turn, and he who was so 
unfortunate, either by accident, or from those crowd- 
ing behind, as to step over the line in front, was 
immediately fired upon by the guard. Several were 
killed or maimed in this manner, and a window at 
the top of the stair case was completely riddled with 
bullets, fired at these innocent offenders. The filth 
and stench arising from our rooms, pent up as we were 
like cattle, with no means of egress, and more than 
half of us sick with that scourge of the soldier — the 
chronic diarrhea — was beyond description. The 
order for this worse than brutal treatment, came 
from Major Moffit, a deserter from our regular army, 
who had command of the post at Danville. If but 
one half the enormities practised upon helpless pris- 
oners, under his orders, could be told with decency, 



■96 FQ,[JE.TEEN MONTHS 

the vile odors of those Danville stables where we were 
kept, would be fragrauce to the stench of his 
memory. 

In prison No. was nearly a whole company of the 
35th Indiana Infantry. They were bold, rough, deter- 
mined, dare-devil fellows, whom nothing could daunt 
or discourage. Fuel not being furnished us, they 
began tearing up the garret floor for lire-wood. A 
guard came up and ordered them to desist, under 
penalty of terrible punishment. The floor remained 
unmiolested until one morning, just after the rations 
had been issued, the boys, being out of Avood, com- 
menced another raid upon it. The boards cracked 
and flew in s})linters in every direction ; the guards 
of the prison, hearing the noise, called the Lieuten- 
ant, who immediately ran uj^ the stairs and ordered 
them to stop. But his orders were ineffectual to stay 
the work of destruction ; every board of the floor was 
torn up and broken in pieces. When this was done 
the stairs leading to the garret were j^ulled down and 
and in like manner destroyed. After the Avork had 
been finished, which it required but a few minutes to 
do, about twenty of the guard came ^3, with bayonets 
fixed. They trembled with fear ; for there was visi- 
ble on the faces of the prisoners a determination to 
avenge any violent act upon themselves. But 
not even an arrest was made ; the guard was march- 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 97 

ed back again, and tlie men, each with his trophy 
piled up at the head of his sleeping place, left to en joy 
his victory unmolested. J>ut the victory was not yet 
won. Ahout ten o'clock " Irish Pete " and the com- 
missary brought the meat ration to the prison and 
ordered the Sergeant of the prison to divide it only 
among those, who had had no part in despoiling the 
garret lloor. The tidings of this proposed division 
soon reached the Indiana boys, and they at once 
made a claim for their share, which the Sergeant 
could not do otherwise than refuse to grant them. 
Thereu])on they seized tlie pails of meat, wliich had 
been divided into parts for the dilfei'ent rooms, and 
upsetting them, each laid hold of a portion of their 
contents and hurried to liis (piai'ters. " Irish Pete " 
and the long, lean Commissary, immediately followed 
them up the stairs with their heavy hickory canes, to 
i*e-cai)ture the spoils. Reaching the third floor, the 
" men in authority " at once identified the *' thieves," 
as they, in their indignation termed them, by the 
pieces of meat still in their hands ; whereupon "Pete " 
conmienced to belabor one of them over the shoul- 
<lers with his "shillalah." A young Irishman, named 
Carter, seeing his "erring brother" thus exercising 
his favorite method of correction, immediately called 
out: "]>oys, that won't do, let's go for 'cm." In nn 
instant, the whole ' floor ' rallied with such weapons 



98 FOyRTEEN MONTHS 

as first came to hand. They failed in cutting off the 
enemy's retreat down the stairway, but charging in 
the rear, they pursued them with oaths, bolts and 
brick bats, doAvn the first flight of stairs, across the 
room to the next flight where they halted. The re- 
treating foe sprang wildly down the last stairs, their 
coat tails bearing horizontally and their staring eyes 
hanging out of their heads, exclaiming : " where's 
the kays ! Avhere's the kays ! o^^en the door ! open the 
door !" at the top of their voices. Having about ten feet 
the start, they made good their retreat, escaping with 
two or three slight bruises. It was lucky for " Irish 
Pete " that his retreat was not cut ofi*, for had he been 
caught, the enraged boys would undoubtedly have 
killed him on the spot. He had made himself unpop- 
ular among the prisoners by several times striking 
them with his " schtick," and no one would have inter- 
fered to save him being torn piecemeal. ISTo j)unish- 
ment followed this daring act ; on the contrary, it 
seemed to have a good effect upon Major Moflit, for 
he immediately promoted Carter to the oflice of Ser- 
geant of the prison, and for sometime afterward, our 
supplies of wood for cooking, vrere both frequent and 
in suflicient quantities, and an ax with which to cut 
it, was furnished us. 

ISTear the last of March, another -plan of escape was 
formed. News from Richmond j}:ave accounts of 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 99 

Kilpatrick's raid uj^on that city, and hundreds of citi- 
zens flocked into Danville to secure a safe retreat in 
case the city should be captured. This news encour- 
aged us to hope that, if we could once break through 
the guard at Danville, we could reach the lines of 
Kill^atrick's force, which was reported as striking 
towards the Railroads, between us and Richmond. 
By means of prisoners on parole at the cook house, 
we were able to communicate with the different pris- 
ons, and thus, to arrange the details of a plan for a 
general escapade. In spite of all precautions. Prison 
No. 5 had constructed another tunnel by opening 
their floor into an unoccupied room on the first story, 
and seventy men had escaped. This caused closer 
watching over us, and so careful did the scrutiny be- 
come, that it was next to impossible for any one to 
escape by the ordinary means. The plan was, there- 
fore, a desperate one, and involved no less than a 
release of all the prisoners in Danville, with the seiz- 
ure of the railroads and telegraphs. Each prison 
was to organize itself in companies of 60 men each, 
with proper officers, and these companies formed 
again into battallions, whose officers in like manner 
were to be elected. This organization, if completed, 
would form an effective force of some 4,000 men — a 
truly formidable array, if properly officered and re- 
duced to discipline. The expected attack upon Rich- 



100 FOLKTKKN .MON I US 

moiul had oansoii a withdrawal ot" a largo ^^avt of tho 
prison uuards, whu'h novor had hoou vorv v«<troiiu"; so 
that only a tooblo rosistanoo to us, was approheudod 
at first. AVluMi all should ho organized, at a t'avor- 
ahlo uioniont, a clioson body was to rush ui>on tlio 
throo guards in oaoh |>rison, soi/o and soouio thoir 
amis, thou to burst o}>on tho doors and windows, and 
ovorpowor tho stroot guards bot'oro tlioy ovudd ro-K>ad, 
at'tor iho lirsi disohargo o[' thoir piooos. .Aloantinio, 
a largo t'oroo was to prooood to tho oontral guani 
houso, attack and oapturo it — a thing easily ilono with 
u slight loss ot' lit'o ; — No. (> w as to niako an onsot ujH>n 
iho arsenal and try and I'apturo ii, with its contents, 
whieh eonsisted of hirge quantities of su\all arms with 
amunniition, and a battery of artillery. The sudilen- 
iiess ot' the attack and tho total w ant ot' }>reparatic>n 
on the i>art ol' the guard, were thought suiruieut to 
ensure success. The jdot was undoubtedly feasible 
from its desperation ; no commander would have been 
able to tbreseo and make preparation against, so 
daring an act. Ibit the most ditVicult part was yet io 
be portbrnuHl. Telegraph communication could at 
once be made with Kiolnnond, and all places along 
our intended route where troops were stationed. 
Having control oi' the Kailroads, tho Ivobol (lovorn- 
mont, upon the roeei[>t ot' news ot' om- escape, could 
forward a brigade oi' well armed troops to head oif 



■in^l rn-capttirf' u-. h. w.ah trur; fjjat wo oouJd cutllic 
\virc« at JJanville, and take poKKCHhlon of fjjf; Ilail- 
roiiil at that j>oint, })ui iIj'ih would only have given uk 
;i few houi'H lonp^er njHpitc, for couriers wouUl Jiav* 
been 8ent to tlie nearest Utlagraph Htation, long before 
we could have intercepted them. In any event, if 
w<'. fiad «nccecded in getting a day'H march ahea^I of 
our })iirHnerH, how were we to Hnhnint bo large a force, 
witlK>ut a eornrniMHary department, in an enemy'H 
country and with no oilieern of experience, or authority 
10 compel obedience and direct our marclj V There 
were nine chanccK for failure to orje ior huccckh in 
the ent<iri>riBe. Yet dcHperate as it was, it was firmly 
resolved upon, and severul of tlie Prisons had per- 
fected th(;ir organizations, when unexpected news 
from Uiclimond and subsequent events, put an end 
to the sclieme. 

On the 12th of Aj^ril, a daily )>aper, just from a 
Jticlimorid pi-ess, was brought i/ilo tli(.' prison by Old 
Charley, who called the daily roll, containing intelli- 
gence so gratifying to him, that after roll-call he read 
it aloud for our information. The article intended 
for our ears, commenced, in heavy capitals; "Olo- 
KioiiH NkWh. Tui: Orji Caktkl 'io i'.k IIkhumko." — 
It then proceeded to announces to the Houtliern j>eo}>le 
that their friends who wara " pining away in Xortheru 
dungeons," were soon to be released ; that 'dll Fed- 



102 FOTTETEEN MONTHS 

eral prisoners were to be exchanged ; that a heavy 
burden of exj)ense woukl soon be lifted from their 
shoulders, and a general exchange effected upon a 
basis highly satisfactory and honorable to all par- 
ties, &c., &c. 

On hearing these glad tidings, every one was on 
tip-toe with delight; our hearts beat high with hope; 
the joy of the prisoners exceeded all bounds. We 
danced, shouted, sung at the toj^ of our voices, mak- 
ing the old warehouses tremble with our jubilees. 
Danville prisoners were to be released as soon as 
those in Richmond had been disposed of, and we 
were assured that the paroling and exchanging at 
that place were far on towards completion. Many 
were so certain of speedy release, that they even 
bought, for various articles of manufacture, and 
sometimes for money, their " first chance " for City 
Point. No. 5 Prisoners were to be forwarded first, 
and No. 6 next, the others in such order as should 
be agreed upon. 

On the morning of the 13th April, No. 5 left for 
Richmond ; our turn would come the next day. That 
one day "dragged its slow length along," so tardily 
that it seemed almost an eternity. Our impatience 
would burst the bounds of time and hasten the lazy 
hours apace. The morning of the 14th came at 
length, with orders to us to be ready to march to the 



TN SOUTHERN PRISONS. T 03 ' 

depot. After receiving three days' rations, — a liberal 
supply for a journey to City Point — we were mar- 
shaled to the cars and loaded. Our apprehensions 
excited by the liberality of the commissary, were, 
quieted with the information that a recent freshet had 
carried off the bridges between Danville and Rich- 
mond, and that the James was so swollen and filled 
with drift wood that the Flag of Truce boat experi- 
enced great difficulty in ascending that river. As 
the train started we raised one loud shout of joy,— 
our farewell to the late scene of our sufferings, — little 
thinking that to this lowest depth of misery, the Con- 
federate authorities could find a lower still. The 
fresh, pure air filled our lungs once more and sent the 
}»ot blood glowing through our veins; and we felt 
that we were soon to stand again beneath the starry 
emblem of our National liberty, free men. ]5y ten 
o'clock we reached the Staunton River, the bridge 
over which had been swept away ; but by making a 
detour of half a mile, we found an old log bridge 
over which we crossed in safety. On the opposite 
side stood a train of cars awaiting our arrival ; aboard 
which we were soon placed, and hastened on our 
way in the direction of Richmond. We reached the 
Petersburg junction of the South Side Railroad just 
at sundown, and were still sixty miles from the end 
of our journey. While stopping here to cbange cars, 



104 FOtTETKEN MONTHS 

a citizen informed ns tliat wewere fortunate in being* 
so far advanced, as tliis train load was all that Avas 
now to be exchanged ; for new difficulties liad arisen 
and exchange was to be stopped immediately. But 
the train proceeding on, cut short our conversation 
with him, and we ceased to think of what he had told 
us, or this intelligence would liave increased the mis- 
givings excited by our three days' rations. We 
arrived at Petersburg about four o'clock in the morn- 
ing, where we were again unloaded to change cars, 
for the last time, as we supposed, before reaching 
City Point. IMarching along the streets, we instantly 
recognized the various buildings we had passed on 
our route to the South in October. Here our misgi\'- 
ings were again aroused, for we knew that City Point 
did not lie in that direction ; and something of our 
true destination flashed upon our minds. Arriving 
at the depot, we found a train of cars awaiting us. 
The locomotive had not been brought out, and it be- 
came a matter of deepest interest to us, to which end 
of the train it would be attached; if to the North end, 
we were all right, and a speedy exchange with home 
and friends, awaited us ; if to the South end, we knew 
not what might be in store. The engine soon came 
puffing from a Southern direction, was co\ipled to the 
oai'S at the South end of the train, and we started. 
How eagerly we watched the road for a curve to the 



IN 80UTHEEN PRISONS. 105 

Northeast, each holding his hreath in the anxious 
suspense with which we looked through the crevices 
in the cars, for a favorable turn in our affairs. The 
ti'ain kept straight on, turning neither right nor left, 
l)earing almost due South. Slowly and gloomily we 
allowed the conviction to settle upon our minds that 
we were now hound for the long threatened swamps 
of Georgia, there amid the heat and miasma, to die. 
A fcw^riod to console themselves with the thought 
that Congress, knowing our sufferings so well, would 
make every effort for our exchange, and that Savan- 
nah was the point toward which we were moving, for 
that purpose. Many murmured at the seeming indif- 
ference to our fate, thus exliihited }>y our Govern- 
ment, but with our limited knowledge of the reasons 
for such a course, we could come to no conclusion, 
other than that a sacrifice was demanded for some 
purpose, and we were the designated victims. 

During the afternoon we reached Gaston, where we 
exchanged both guard and cars, and proceeded 
towards Raleigh. Arriving within four miles of that 
place, shortly after dark, we halted and camped in 
the woods for the night. A train was backed down 
to us from Ualeigh early next morning, and we com- 
menced our journey for the far-famed Anderson villo 
prison-pen. 

Little of interest transpired on our trip to the South, 
8 



106 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

except tlie insignificant accident of three of the cars 
being thrown from the track and completely wrecked, 
doing damage to no one, however. Our route lay 
through Raleigh, Charlotte, Columbia, Augusta, and 
Macon. These towns bore the same dilapidated ap- 
pearance, exhibited the same quiet, grass-grown 
streets, the same lazy, listless air, which character- 
izes so many cities of the Soutli. At Augusta, a pris- 
oner, having by some means procured a rebel uni- 
form, put it on, and while walking around among us 
was ordered away. Complying with the order, he 
stejiped aside and falling in with a regiment that was 
going to Atlanta, he joined it, and commenced his 
" trij) " to the North. He Avas, however, betrayed by 
a man who informed him that a ferry, which he wish- 
ed to cross, was unguarded ; on reaching which, he 
found that the statement was false, and he was re- 
taken and sent to Andersonville. He afterwards 
effected his escape from that place, by passing through 
the gates as a sick man, and was never re-tahen. 

The train rolled slowly on, reaching Macon at day- 
light, where we halted for a couj^le of hours, waiting 
for the road in our front to be cleared of trains, which 
were coming np from the South. From the cars, we 
had a near view of the extensive iron works located 
at this place ; and for a time, nearly forgot the fact 
that we were prisoners, while watching the workmen 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 107 

as they plied their busy craft. Here were old loco- 
motives, placed hors de combat in some disaster, wait- 
ing to have broken arms disjointed and new ones j^ut 
in their place. Scattered over the ground and lying 
about in confused heaps, were pieces of iron guns 
that had burst, old rails, bar and pig iron, brought 
here to be wrought into articles of service. The train 
finally moved on, in a South-west direction, past the 
Confederate States Chemical Labralory, wherein most 
of the medicines were manufactured for their army, 
reaching Andersonville station, sixty-five miles dis- 
tant, about noon of the 20th April, 1864, where we 
halted and disembarked. 



CHAPTER V. 

Andersonville Prison — Admitted— Appearance of the Prisoners and 
the Pen— The First Night— The Morning— Search for Water— Roll 
Call— Rations— Cooking Utensils— Wood and Axes — Belle Island- 
Prisoners from Cahawba and Plymouth. 

As soon as we had been removed from tlie cars, we 
were placed in charge of Captain Wirz, the com- 
mandant of the prison, who rode up and ordered ns 
all to form into four ranks ; he then passed along the 
line dividing the whole column into detachments of 
two hundred and seventy men each ; these detach- 
ments were then subdivided into three divisions of 
ninety men, and three Sergeants appointed to take 
charge of them. This process required about two 
hours in the performance, and while we were wait- 
ing, standing in the broiling sun, we took a bird's 
eye view of our future jjlace of confinement. The 
cars had halted upon a gentle knoll, sloping South- 
wardly to a swampy creek, and in a Northern direc- 
tion for a short distance, leaving us upon a semicir- 
cular ridge, from which we had a good view of the 
surrounding country. About half a mile in our front, 



110 rotTRTEEN MONTHS 

as we faced the East, we descried the " buildings " 
which were to constitute our abode, and which con- 
sisted of what appeared to be a fence of logs set up- 
right in the ground, enclosing a long, narrow area. 
We had been told that here we Avere to be furnished 
with comfortable houses, both numerous and roomy, 
in which there would be no more crowding together, 
as at Richmond and Danville ; and that as much 
liberty would be allowed ^IS, as was compatible with 
security against our escape. We, therefore, strained 
our eyes to catch a glimpse of those " comfortable 
houses," and not seeing them, concluded they must 
be so low as not to be visible outside the enclosure, 
and that the fence was the limit of the yard in Avhich 
we were to take the " j^lenty of exercise " promised 
us. Beyond the prison and stretching out on all 
sides of us, was a vast forest of pine, whose heavy 
dark foliage hanging from the tall and limbless trunks, 
seemed like a funereal canopy spread over the gloomy 
scene. A little to our right, was a small sluggish 
stream, bending slightly to the Korth, and termina- 
ting in a narrow, marshy belt, just as it reached the 
prison walls ; this we presumed was to supply us with 
water. N'ear the walls of the prison, on the North 
side of the stream, stood a building in process of con- 
struction, the skeleton of the roof being all that was 
visible. The whole presented a disnial appearance 



IX SOUTHERN PRISOIS^S. Ill 

of desolation, which can be felt only by those who 
witnessed it. 

The j^relimin aries being finally settled to the satis- 
faction of the Commandant, the column moved for- 
ward upon the main road, until it reached the vicinity 
of the stream, where it separated into two nearly 
equal parts, the advance continuing directly forward 
to the main entrance of the yard, while the rear turned 
to tlfe right, and crossed the stream, entering by the 
South gate. The detachment to which I belonged 
was in the van, and when we reached the gate, we 
halted; the guard with loaded muskets and with bay- 
onets fixed, was drawn up in line of battle; the mas- 
sive double doors swung open, disclosing a horrible 
and heart-rending spectacle. The prisoners had gath- 
ered in a disorderly crowd upon either side of the 
main street, opposite to the entrance, to receive us, 
and to recognize any acquaintances or friends that 
might be in our company; their faces and hands and 
naked feet were black with smoke from the pine fires; 
their clothing hung in tattered strij)S from their limbs 
and bodies ; their hair, long and matted with tar and 
dirt, fell in ropes over their eyes, which glared fear- 
fully upon us, as we marched between these living 
Avails. It was like entering the borders of hell, where 
the gathered demons had crowded to the passage, to 
bid us welcome to their infernal abodes. These men. 



112 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

who had been heroes upon many a well contested 
field, were now shorn of then* strength, and stood 
helpless beside us ; their black skin drawn tight upon 
their fleshless frames, their bony arms trembling with 
weakness. Some were without hats, some Avithout 
coats or shirts ; others had no pants, and nearly all 
were destitute of any covering for the feet. They 
more resembled fiends than human beings; to such 
a fearful pass had the brutality of their jailors brought 
them. From this moment, hope forsook us; we felt 
that this was, indeed, *' the last of earth ; " that we 
had been brought here into dreary forests and swamps, 
far from home, and beyond the reach of friends, to 
die. True foreboding, alas ! to how many of us. 

The prison at Andersonville is a roofless enclosure 
containing, at the time of our arrival, about fifteen 
acres in area, being nearly sixty rods in length by 
-forty in width. The site was selected by Captain 
Winder, a son of General John H. Winder, who was 
sent from Richmond for that purpose, some time in 
the latter part of December, 1863. It is located upon 
both sides of the little creek, ( it had become a swamp 
at this point) which we had noted, while standing at 
the Railroad station, sloping gradually down to it, 
from both sides. The walls of the stockade were of 
pitch pine timbers, , hewn about twelve inches in 
thickness, and as wide as the trees from which they 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. Il3 

were cut, would admit. The timbers were about 
twenty feet long ; they had been set in a trench some 
five feet in depth, into which the earth had been 
thrown, holding them firmly in position. It was said 
to have been built under the suj^erintendence of Capt. 
Winder, who had impressed a sufficient number of 
negroes for tlie purpose, and was a fine specimen of 
stockade architecture. At intervals of about a hun- 
dred-feet, sentry boxes were constructed, six feet in 
length by four in width, and of sufficient hight that 
when the sentry stood erect, the top of the wall was 
on a level with his breast ; they were reached from 
the outside by long ladders, and w^ere covered with 
boards for shelter against the sun and storms. 

Within the enclosure, about eighteen feet from 
them was a railing some four feet in hight, running 
parallel with the prison walls ; it was formed by nail- 
ing scantling upon posts driven at regular intervals 
into the ground. This constituted the mark between 
life and death — the limit of the prisoners' ramble — 
the dead line. Any man, sick or well, sane or de- 
mented, found on the inside of that line, was fired 
upon, without a word of warning, and, iftheaimof 
the guard was good, shot dead. Many a time, as the 
author afterwards saw, the guard fired and missed 
their mark, hitting and killing men peaceably walking 
about in the area, far from the dead line ; — so care- 



114 FOyivTEEN MOXTHS 

lessly and recklessly did they discharge tlieir mus- 
kets ainuiig tlie i)risoners. On one occasion, a "Ser- 
geant of Division" doing dnty, in bringing the sick to 
the place for examination by tlie Snrgeon, Avas pnsh- 
ed beyond this line by the croAvd beliind liini ; tlie 
guard tired Avithont warning, and the ball passed 
completely throngh both arms and his body; he lived 
about two hours after this. It was currently reported 
that for every Yankee shot, the fortunate sentineh 
received a furlougli of thirty days. 

Scattered about in various parts of the area were 
the "houses'" of the prisoners; these consisted of 
pieces of shelter tents, or remnants of blankets 
stretched nj^on boughs of pine trees; but few of the 
l)risoners possessed these accommodations, and the 
majority were either with no coA^ering at all, or had 
dug holes in the ground into Avhich they cr;. wled for 
shelter. In looking over this field, tliere could be 
seen nothing of interest to attract the eye, or engage 
the attention of the beholder. Turn in v hich Avay 
we would, the same dismal scene of wretcliedness 
confronted us ; the same squalid forms crawled past; 
the same sullen look of despair was on every face. 
Around us were the high, gray walls, upon whose 
top stood the relentless sentry, ready and eager to 
destroy us, at the first motion beyond the limit fixed ; 
the gloomy pines, uj)on whose dark t(^]>s the blue 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 115 

smoke of our pit had Kc^tUed down, in ominous clouds, 
Ktretched far off on every hand ; it was only when we 
looked upward to the sky that wc saw faint rays of 
light in the mild blue eye of Heaven, beaming pity 
ingly down upon us; there, from the presence of the 
Ood above us, we gathered new strength, new inspi- 
ration, well knowing that only by keeping our hearts 
strong, and our courage true, could we sui-vive the 
terrible scenes we knew must shortly follow. 

In the Northeast and Southeast corners, were 
spaces about eight rods in length Ijy four in width, 
in which white canvas was stretched, in the form 
of wedges, with the sharp edge uppermost; the tops 
of these contrivances were about five feet high, while 
the bottoms \{Q,\'(i fastened to- wooden pins, some six 
inches from the ground; thelloorwas the bare earth, 
uncarpeted with grass or straw. This constituted 
the " Hospitals " of Camp Sumter, and were excel- 
lently designed for the purpose of baking the unfor- 
tunate victims of disease, who might chance to crawl 
into them. Destructive as these ovens were, they 
were crowded with sick men, who lay moaning upon 
the naked bed, sweltering in the glowing heat of the 
Southern sun, which, even at this time of the year, 
was pouring down torrents of fire. 

The only unoccupied space in the enclosure North 
of the swamp, was a narrow strip fifty feet wide. 



116 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

reaching quite across the East side of the pen, from 
IS^orth to South. Into this we were ushered in due 
form, and turned loose, to shift for ourselves. In this 
confined space, we were permitted to select our 
position, and the right to it, when selected, was based 
upon the princij^le of Squatter Sovereignty ; if the 
fortunate occupant of the soil, however, was too weak 
to maintain his right, he was subject to be ousted at 
any time, by his stronger neighbor. Generally, each 
detachment had Jt portion of soil assigned by the 
authorities, as we afterwards learned, where it was 
required to " locate," for j)tirposes of roll-call, sick- 
call, and the issuing of rations ; but the men were 
not obliged to remain there at any other time, or for 
any other purposes. 

Having been admitted to this den, with but little 
trouble on our part, we threw down our " trnps" and 
waited for further developments. In the army, it had 
been the custom for two congenial spirits to put their 
few articles of food, their blankets, and cooking uten- 
sils, together, forming a partnership concern, from 
which both derived equal benefit. My "partner" 
and I tried to do something of this kind here, but the 
scheme was mostly a failure, for the common stock 
did not extend beyond a couple of dirty haversacks, 
a piece of tin which we had "gobbled" from the top 
of one of the cars, that had been wrecked on our trip, 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 117 

two till cups, and a couple of pieces of dirty blanket, 
which had survived the winter at Danville. By a 
l^iece of good luck, we had lialted near a stump about 
four or five inches high, and as soon as we were per- 
mitted to break ranks, we stepped upon it and pro- 
claimed our possession. Here was our liome, and 
liaving laid our worldly goods upon it, we gravely 
sat down to consider what next was to be done. 

Ou$ last rations had been issued at Augusta, and 
consisted of a pone and a small piece of shoulder 
bacon. The pone proper was a mixture of corn meal^ 
salt and water, baked in the form of a roll twisted to 
a point at both ends, and weighing about a pound, 
although at Andersonville, any irregular piece of corn 
bread was known by that name. We had already 
fasted for thirty-six hours, and traveled more than 
two hundred miles, but were told, upon inquiry of 
the older prisoners, that we should draw no rations 
until the next day. It was now about the middle of 
the afternoon ; the scorching sun was burning and 
blistering us, unaccustomed as we had been to expo- 
sure to its rays, in the warehouses of Danville ; Ave 
knew that our fate was in our own hands ; that if we 
became despondent and gave way to the horrors of 
our situation, we should inevitably grow sick, and 
sickness and death were synonymous. 

Nothing but discouragement met us at every turn ; 



118 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

we were not even safe from the dej)redatioiis of the 
prisoners themselves. We Avere cautioned particu- 
larly against the " raiders," a class of depredators 
with which every army abounds and of which no 
military prison is ever free, who under cover of dark- 
ness, were wont to search the camp and steal such 
few useful articles as they could take unobserved 
from their fellows. We were assured that we must 
keep the strictest guard over our eftects at all times, or 
the raiders would get them, and we be left destitute ; 
the prison authorities furnished us material, which 
we were expected to cook, if we did not wish to eat 
it raw ; but our cooking utensils must be such as our 
own ingenuity could devise, for nothing of the kind 
was ever issued. 

Too tired with our long journey to venture out and 
explore our prison, in minute detail, we threw our- 
selves upon the ground and waited patiently for the 
darkness to shut the miserable scene from our sight. 
The sun went down at last ; the prisoners sought 
their beds ; and silence, broken only by the feverish 
moan of some dying suiferer, as he rolled u^^on the 
earth, which was soon to open and receive him into 
its bosom ; the " all's well" of the sentry, as he called 
the hour to his fellows ; or the occasional cry o f 
*' raiders," settled down upon the camp. The dismal 
strangeness of the scene banished slumber from our 



IX SOUTIIEEN PrJSONS. 119 

eyes, and thouglits of our situation came strong and 
rapid upon us. If we had been sentenced to die at 
the stake upon the coming morrow we could not 
have been more gloomy and despairing. Until now 
we had not believed that the Government we had 
voluntarily joined in protecting, could abandon us, 
after faithfid service, to the tender mercies of our 
enraged and barbarous enemies. Butitwas the 20th 
of April; we had passed six months amid the hor- 
rors of Richmond and Danville, and we were now 
brought here, a thousand miles beyond the reach or 
liope of succor, into a region of wilderness and 
swamps, sick, starving, naked, — to die. A few 
square feet of earth were ours ; sacred to our use and 
our cherishing care ; over us was the canopy of 
Heaven, the roof of our mansion ; our couch was the 
cold, damj) soil ; our earthly possession's were at our 
feet ; there was no day of exchange to look forward 
to,— nothing to hope for. We had left the world 
bcliind when w^e entered this spot ; the great gate had 
swung into its place and shut us in, how many of us, 
forever. We dared not look forward, for a contem- 
plation of the future was too appalling ; we had fallen 
into a deep gulf, where our own kind, fallen before 
us, had changed into liideous specters, that threat- 
ened to torture and destroy us. And thus the first 
long night at Andersonville passed away. 



120 FOUETEEN MONTHS 

Morning broke at last, and rising from the conch 
on which we had in vain songht repose, we rolled to- 
gether our blankets, wet with the chilling shower of 
dew which had fallen copiously during the night, and 
fostening our cooking utensils to the bundle, lelt 
them with a friend, while we set out in search of 
water. Taking the direction of a belt of fog, which 
had settled down, about half way between our situa- 
tion and the south end of the stockade, we found, on 
reaching it, a black, boggy swamp, that appeared to 
be about eighty yards in width, through the center of 
which flowed a muddy stream of water, winding its 
sluggish way along till it passed between the tim- 
bers of the stockade, slightly scored off for the pur- 
pose, on the East side. The swamp contained about 
three acres of land, or nearly one fifth the territory 
assigned us ; along the borders of the stream, and 
extending back to either edge of the morass, were 
frequent bogs, in which the stagnant water, oozing 
up through the loose earth, had formed in little pools, 
and was covered with a thick, dark scum, which gave 
out a sickening stench when it was disturbed. At 
its eastern extremity, where the water made its exit, 
the prison sinks were located ; although, from the 
weakness of the sick men, the lower part of tlie 
stream, for the distance of several rods, was used for 
this purpose. The water was warm and disagreea- 



I.V SODTIIEKX PKISOXS. 121 

hie ; it had a hoggy, earthy tante, and wan, in its 
jjiireHt Ktate, of a dai'k, reddish-hrown color ; yet, if 
all the arrangcmentM for our impriHonment had hecn 
aH good aH this we Khould never have murmured. 
On the west side, near the dead line, was a bridge of 
loose boards, upon which communication could be 
had with the opposite side of the swamp. Above 
this, a place had been scooped out directly beneath 
the dead line, where water for drinking and cooking 
[)urposes, was dipped up in cups ; below, the water 
was reserved for bathing and washing clothes. These 
arrangements, however, had been made by common 
consent of the prisoners, the authorities having noth- 
ing to do with it ; there was nothing to prevent the 
evil-disposed from disturbing the water and render- 
ing it unfit for use, exce]>t the moral influence of 
camp. 

Having bathed our hands and faces, we returned 
to our " lodging," just as the men Avere lighting their 
little cook-fires preparatory to the morning meal. 
Having nothing to cook, we sat down upon our 
stump and waited, looking hungrily on, until the 
brief repast of the others had terminated. At eight 
o'clock came the roll-call. For this ]:)urpose the 
drum beat the assembly at the south gate, and the 
men foi'med in four ranks, by divisions and detach- 
ments, to be counted. Sergeants had been appointed 




122 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

to take charge of their respective divisions, to receive 
and distribute rations ; to superintend the men in 
foraging for wood outside the stockade ; to form them 
in column for roll-call, and to attend to such other 
business of a public nature as occasion might re- 
quire. Tlie " roll-call man " Avas usually a Confeder- 
ate non-commissioned officer, who had charge of 
several detachments, which were counted in regular 
order. He was accompanied through each division 
by its sergeant, and counted the men by fours. If 
the division was full, the time employed at roll-call 
was brief; but if one man was missing the sergeant 
was called upon to report what had become of him; 
when, if he could be foimd, the division was reported 
full, and at once broke ranks, going wherever tlie 
men pleased. It Avas only when a man was missed 
and could not be found, that the roll-call became an 
oppression. On the morning after such an event 
was discovered, all the prisoners were placed in four 
ranks, and required to stand in their places, in the 
hot sun, until every man in the stockade could be 
counted ; a process requiring about six hours for its 
completion. By this means any one out of his place 
in the ranks, could be found, if he were still in the 
stockade ; but if he had escaj^ed, and no trace of him 
was discovered, the entire division to which he be- 
longed, was put upon two-thirds the usual meat 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 123 

ration, unless some of its members would divulge the 
manner in which the escape had been made ; which 
2)unishment was continued according to the whim of 
the commandant, or until the man was re-caught." 
The sergeant of division was required to report every 
absentee to the " roll-call man," as soon as he came 
upon the ground ; if he neglected to do this, he was 
subjected to punishment in the standing stocks for 
twenty-four or forty-eight hours, after which a ball 
and cliain was attached to his leg, and he was turned 
loose into the stockade again. Occasionally a man 
who made his escape, arranged with a friend, who be- 
longed to another division than himself, to fill his place 
for a short time, until he could get far enough away to 
avoid re-capture ; this would be done by the friend 
taking his place in his own division, until it had been 
counted, when he would quietly slip into the division 

A. 

of the other man, thus making it full. The deception 
was ultimately discovered, of course, but generally 
]iot till the runaway was beyond pursuit. To pre- 
vent the divisions breaking ranks, while the long 
search continued, the sentinels were trebled in the 
sentry boxes, with orders to fire into the first squad 
that attemj^ted it. 

Sometime in the afternoon the ration wagon 
drove into the stockade laden with corn meal, bacon 
and salt, Avhich were thrown down into'a heap, injan 



124 FOUUTICKN MONTHS 

(>|)(Mi M|>M('(' Mi)(>»i(, inidw MV \\\v <'ncl(»siii(\ II. wasi a 
liori'ihlc sii;l»t io wiliicss llu' li:iu;!;:ir(l ('n»w<l, i;a(.lu>rtMl 
.'ibonl tills ))rt'('i()ns pile, wliilc the ( \)imniss;M-y su- 
]>(M'in(rii(l(Ml its (li\ ision, mimoii!;' the sijiiiul scri^i^niits ; 
(j^M/.iiii;*, mcMuwhilc, \vili» wollisli cyi^s upon tlu^ littl(> 
lu'Mp MS it. dimiiiisluMl, or lollowiii'^ thoir scj-n'cnnt. 
('oiiimissMry hack to liis (piartcrs, as rninislxMl s^vilu^ 
follow clauiorously the footsteps of tlu'ir mastci-, as 
li(> cai'rics tlicir food to tlic acciislomcd (rounh. 'V\\o 
rations \\rvc (list rihutiMl l>y tli(> (li\ ision-siM'j^'caiif to 
(he im'ss-sor<i;c'ant, who then (li\ idcd them amoni;" tlid 
nuMi, To avoid (|tiari'idiii<j:;, diii'iiiu; tlu^ last, distfibii- 
tioii, it. was tlu' ciisto!!! ainonui; all the mosses, foi- tlu^ 
incss-siM'^'cant to S(.>j)urato the rations into as many 
small j>ari'(ds, as thci-c were nu'ii in llu' moss; ono 
man of tho moss, was pl.-icod a slioil, distaiico olf, with 
his baok toward tho })arc'ols, in su(di ])ositi(>n that ho 
oould not soo thom ; tho mi'ss-sorii^oant. thon pointed 
to ono, with tho words: '' Who has this,"" to which 
tho man ro})liod, annoiincin!.!; tho namo of tho rooip- 
iont., wluMi it was oivon to him. In this mannoi- tho 
wliolo nuiubor was j^ono through with, with satisfac- 
tion to all. 

Iron bako pans, liko thos(^ ns(Ml by tho (\)nfod(M-- 
ato soldiers, had bi»on is.snod to tho prisoners, who 
lirst iirrivod at this place, in which to biiko thoir moal 
and fry their bacon ; but nothint;- of tho kind was 



IN HOUTIIICIIN I'JIIHONH. 12/5 

ever givcjj out Mi't(!rwar<lH, !,<> my knowliMltrc 'I'hc 
L'Jiitiid StJit/(!H HoMiurH, an in w<'ll kiiowji, wcic never 

|MV*vi<]e(l vvilJi olJier (UHtkiw^ iilcjinilH ihuii meHH,kot" 

• 

iJcM iukI nicHH )>;ins, both too Large to \n: tr.*iiif-;j<ort(i<l 
in :iny otiicr way tliaii iijioii aniiy \va;^oiiM. Al, tlie 
tiiric ol" our capture, ill iiiuucrouH iuHtaiiceH, tlic till 
euj)H and plateH wliicJi we had, weic taken IVotu iih ; 
oiii' kiiivcH, it will \)c- i<'iii(!rnbere<l, were coiirtHcate<l 
at DSnvilh'; nothing, tlierefore, waH \cM in <nir )»oh- 
M(iHHioii with whie,h to cook oiii- raw ioo<l, aftei- it wan 
given UK. How to ae^eonipliHh thiH neceHHary feat 
waH a grave <jiieHtion. We nia(l<; Hhif't, liovvever, 
witli eJii|)H, half eanteeiiH, tin eiijjH, that had eneaped 
eonfineation, and j/ieeeH of Hli<'.(!t iron, to hak(^ one 
hide oftlK^ Ktnir, while tin; other waH HcarceJy vvarni- 
oA tliroij;jh. Tlie Hohler ol* tJi(! tin, nn-lting and 
mingling witlithe l^read, added anothei^ to our alnK>Ht 
inniimerahle hardHljlj)H. JJut with all our (;ar<* ami 
h'lhor, the rationn were at last devoured in a half 
(u)oked Mtate — a fact whieli aided in the increane of 
the frightful niiH(!iy, tliat HubHequently oeeiirre,<j, 
'jiiite an much as tlie Hmall ^juantity that wan inHiied. 
A more extended account of (he. <jii;iiitity an well mh 
<»r tin' <jUaHty of our food, will he given h(^real'ter. 

A lew to|>M <d'tlie |»iiie treeH, whieh had Imm-ii left 
wilJiin the Htoeka<l<*, by tin; (!onft;d(frat<* authoi itien, 
wlien tlie inteilor waH cleared, t<igeth<!r with tho 



126 FO¥ETEEN MONTHS 

greater part of the stumps, had been used by the 
first detachments, and an adequate supply of wood 
was never afterwards provided, although just outside 
of the prison walls, millions of tons, apparently worth- 
less in that country, were growing ; and we would 
have gladly gathered it, and brought it in upon our 
shoulders if we had been allowed to do so. Such 
permission was not granted, excej)t for a few times, 
when a squad from each division was sent under 
guard to forage for dead limbs and sticks ; the prac- 
tice being brought to an end, by one of the " details" 
seizing the guard, and marching Northward with him. 
After this circumstance took place, Capt. Wirz de- 
vised a kind of parole, or obligation, which the boys 
agreed to before going out, wherein they agreed to 
make no attempt at escape, while foraging ; but even 
this was not respected, and the plan was dropped in 
a short time. During all the time, in which the men 
were allowed to go out of the stockade, any one with 
sufficient money or other valuables, was permitted to 
hire a guard, if he could find one unemployed and will- 
ing to be hired, and with him to go into the woods to 
gather up such dead wood and loose twigs as were 
lying upon the ground. No axes or any tools for 
cutting wood, were ever furnished by the authorities, 
except a few issued when the first prisoners were 
confined thei-e. Some of the boys, however, had 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 12^ 

bought axes of the sentinels, who had purloined them 
from the Quartermaster or their regiment; and after 
wood was brought into the prison by the Commissary 
tlie owner of these tools often made an extra fuel 
ration, by loaning them to those wlio had no otlier 
means of cutting it. The quantity of this wood was 
extremely small, so small indeed, that I hesitate to 
make an estimate of it, lest I should be disbelieved ; 
but it is safe to assert that no more than one fourth 
of a cord was ever given to a detachment for one 
day ; this divided equally among two hundred and 
seventy men, would give to each a little more than 
one ninth of a foot, or, to reduce it still farther, it was 
equal to a green pine board one inch in thickness, 
twelve inches long, by five wide. This was the 
maximum; the minimum was no wood at all, which 
was frequently the case. This wood was drawn to 
us in various conditions ; being mostly the tops of 
trees that had been felled to obtain the stockade 
timbers; it consisted of large and small sticks vary- 
ing from a foot to an inch in diameter, and from two 
to twenty feet in length. To reduce this to proper 
dimensions required the aid of tools, and tliese con- 
sisted principally of iron spikes, which had been 
picked up, upon the railroad, while the })oys were 
being transported hither, and wooden wedges, which 
had been whittled out with jack-knives. With these 



128 FOUETEEX MONTHS 

implements, we could reduce the wood to splinters 
of sufficient dimensions for cooking j^urposes ; but it 
required the closest economy in the using. Little 
holes were dug in the earth, in which the fires were 
built ; and over these our tins, if we had them, were 
hung, in which we heated water for scalding our meal 
preparatory to baking it ; and at the same time, toast- 
ing our morsel of bacon, to economize the heat. 

It becomes necessary to introduce at this point, a 
brief account of the treatment experienced by the 
prisoners at Belle Island, j)revious to their being 
brought to Andersonville, in order that a full aj)- 
preciation may be had, of the misery endured by 
them at the latter place, as well as to account for the 
frightful mortality which subsequently occurred 
among them ; although the tale is presented at sec- 
. ond hand, it was told the author by a relative, in 
whose narrative full confidence can be placed, cor- 
roborated, as it was, by the statements of hundreds 
of living witnesses, with whom the author convers- 
ed. 

One day soon after our arrival, as I was returning 
from the creek, I saw a young man before me, whom 
I thought I recognized. Approaching and calling 
him by name, he resi)onded, and here, indeed, was a 
cousin whom I had not seen for several years ; but 
so changed was he, that it was only by his peculiar 



IX SOUTHERK I»RlSOXS. l20 

gait that I remembered him at all. Cold and starva- 
tion had reduced the bluff, hearty man of one hun- 
dred and sixty pounds, to a meager skeleton that I 
could easily raise in my arms. 

He was captured soon after the Battle of Gettys- 
burg, while on a scouting expedition, ( he belonged 
to the Cavalry branch of the service,) and taken to 
Belle Island, in the James River, above the Railroad 
bridges at Richmond. The river, at this i:)oint, is 
nearly half a mile in width, and quite deep, and the 
chilly Northwest Avinds sweep pitilessly down from 
the neighboring mountains, across this cheerless sj^ot. 
The island contained a large rolling mill, but at that 
time, was otherwise unprovided with shelter or enclo- 
sure ; batteries of artillery were planted upon the 
surrounding hills, in position to throw shell or canis- 
ter into the camp, at the least appearance of disorder 
among the prisoners. The first ten detachments, 
some three thousand men in all, arrived in February 
and the early part of March, to inaugurate the Ander- 
sonville prison, from the prisons of Richmond and 
Belle Isle. Those who had been upon the Island had 
suffered during the fall upon that desolate spot, with- 
out proper clothing, shelterless, and with no fire- 
Wood, save what was furnished in scanty measure for 
cooking purposes. The daily allowance of food was 
no meager, that, pinched by hunger and want, they 



130 t'QtJRTEEX MONTHS 

caught rats, and devoured them with greed. One 
day, a dog belonging to the roll call Sergeant, fol- 
lowed him to the island, and the prisoners, by a little 
" engineering," canght, killed and ate him. The dog 
being missed, lie was inquired for, and his where- 
abouts ascertained ; wlien the man who killed the 
brute, was sought and found, and for punishment, 
was compelled to eat raw dog for two days ; a pun- 
ishment, which, my informant told me, would gladly 
have been shared by every man on the island. This 
story getting abroad among the Northern papers, by 
some means, the Richmond editors came out with 
what they denominated the " facts in the case," 
namely : that the prisoners did kill a dog, and having 
dressed it, offered it for sale as rabbit meat ; and out 
of this circumstance originated the dog-meat story; 
but they did not mention the punishment inflicted for 
killing the animal. When the cold weather came, a 
few tents were provided, but they were totally inad- 
equate to the wants of the men. Furnaces were con- 
structed in these tents, and chimneys carried up out- 
side, built of gravel and sand, in order to economise 
the heat of the scanty fuel. The chimneys retaining 
their heat imparted a welcome Avarmth to the men 
who were destitute of blankets, who gathered closely 
around, hugging them with their freezing limbs. The 
number of the destitute was so s^reat that all could 



m SOUTIIERK PRISONS. 131 

not do this, and the rest packed themselves together 
in ditches and low places, striving thus to keep alive 
the vital spark, by cherishing it in common. After 
living through this frost and famine, surviving the 
treatment which was inflicted upon them at I^elle Isle 
they had been brought to Georgia to be further exper- 
imented upon, where the majority found a grave. The 
cold was less disastrous in its effects than the sun^ 
because by exercise the blood could be kept sufticiently 
warm to continue in circulation ; but, under the fer- 
vid heat of the summer sun, they were powerless to 
save themselves. Occasionally, one had a piece of 
ragged blanket which he stretched upon sticks and 
sought shelter beneath its protection ; but by far the 
greater portion had not even a hat to shield their 
heads at noonday. The nights, too, were chilly and 
oftentimes frosty ; and two or three blankets were 
hardly sufficient to ensure warmth. And thus, by 
alternate melting and freezing, with an occasional 
rain through which to pass the day and night, and 
with constant starvation, is it any wonder that these 
men died daily by scores ? Is it not rather a wonder 
tliat any of them survived so long as they did? 

In the early part of May, some five hundred Ten- 
nesseeans, who had been captured by Forrest, and 
wintered at Selma and Cahawba, Alabama, arrived 
among us ; the most of whom were hatless, bootless 



15^5 t^oirETlcKN MoKTirs 

and slioolcss, -without coats, i)ants and bhuikots. On 
leaving those i)hices, the authorities had told them 
that they were going to be exchanged — a shrewd 
])ie(H' of "strategy," with Avhieli rebel officers duped 
the unsuspecting prisoners, upon all occasions of re- 
moval, to avoid increasing the innnber of the guard 
that accomj)anied them. Tiiey were wholly destitute 
of cups, plates, spoons, and dishes of every kind, as 
well as of all means of purcliasing them ; they having 
been stripped of those things by their captors. In 
their destitute condition, tliey wore turned into the 
stockade and left to shift for themselves in the best 
nnmner they could. To borrow cups of their fellow 
prisoners, was an impossibility, for lu) one could be 
expected to lend what, if it were not returned, would 
be tlie means of his own destructit>n, i)articularly 
wlien the borrower was an utter stranger; there was 
nothing left for them but to bake their raw meal and 
bacon upon stones and chips, eat it Avithout moisture, 
and afterw'ards to go to the brook like beasts, to 
quench their tliirst. To keej> themselves from the 
cold during the night, they scooped out shallow })laces 
in the earth with their hands, and lying doAvn side by 
side in these, with their bare heads and naked feet 
resting upon the surface of the ground, and their un- 
protected bodies wet with dews and storms, the 
wretched men trembled and shivered till morning* 



IN HOlJillKUS I'KIHOA'K. 133 

'lli<:r(' wuH no liopc of" iMl.MainjL^ th<ur c-orKJition, for, 
liaviu/^ jio nioiK^y tlj(5y couM \>uy jiolJun;^ ; iir>thing 
woiiM })(! ^ivc-ii tli<!in hy lluiir I'cJIowKor hy Uicjiiitlior- 
ifj«;H ; ifn'y f;oiil*J do jiolJiin;^ hy wI)K;Ii to carji <;v<5») 
vvo)-n oul> ;i|))»}i)'(;I ; l.ln^y \V(;r<; ulU;rIy lir;Ij)l<;HK to Ixfii- 
♦ •fil/ U»('inK<;lv<!K ; iiii'l y<!f> 11i(;H(; iiKiJi wci'tt k<'|»l Iirirc; 
for /iiuny uionlliK and lived. 

Soon Milerwjird oarnc two tliotiHartd nioi'c, wlio lia<l 
Ix'cn n[;(5ciillyc{iptuj*edatl*lyMioutlj,N. (1 'I'ljcKcmon 
csiiiH* to AnderKonville with better proviHioiiH tliun juiy 
tliatliJidlxifbrc arrived. 15y tlieterrnw of Hurrender, they 
weie allow(5d to reta'ni tlieir money, knapHackH and ex- 
ira clothing; togetlier with certain articlen pertaininj^ 
to culinui-y hhck. 'I'lieKo " tliingn" were private prop- 
eity, }>ou<^}it and j^aid lor hy (;af;h man, and hy all 
law and decency, Khould hase heen prcHcrved toliim 
without Htipulation ; hut sucli waH not generally the 
<;aKe. Tt wa8 a matter of the greatcKt HurpriHe to uh, 
tliat lli(; U(d>e] autlioriticH rcHpeeted these termn after 
they had h(;en njade witli them, yet ]>y Home over- 
sight dou]>tleHH, on tlieir part, they were rcHpected; 
hut they knew full well that Hucli ailiclcH an could ha 
of uHe to their army, would just as surely find tlieir 
way ultimately into theii- possession, foi- trilling 
i-(!turnH, as if tliey had taken them hy force. A few 
days )>efore th(j caf^ture of these men, they liad been 
(unlisted ;ih veterans, and i-eceived pay as such. Each 



134 FOIJ^ETEEN MONTHS 

man had consequently, quite a large amount of money 
—some as many as three hundred dollars — and nearly 
every one had an overcoat, extra pants, slnrts, draw- 
ers and blankets. It was pleasant to look upon them, 
to see then* noble forms arrayed in the comfortable 
uniforms of our loved country ; but, while we were 
glad to find them so well provided with materials for 
their comfort, we were by no means rejoiced to see 
them among us ; for we knew too well by our own 
experience, that their present good cheer could not 
last. They were, as a general thing, noble-minded 
and intelligent, with a high sense of honor and integ- 
rity, men whose associations had evidently been of 
the best charater ; they had enlisted and periled their 
lives to save that of the nation, because they felt it to 
be a duty. It was sad to think how soon they would 
be brought low, their courage gone, — and squalid 
want and misery claim them for their victims. They 
brought us some news on the exchange question, and 
like all prisoners who had been but recently captured, 
indulged in flattering anticipations of speedy release ; 
and being animated with this hoj^e, they spent their 
money freely, buying such things of the older pris- 
oners as they could induce them to part with, and pay- 
ing exorbitant prices therefor. Like all new prisoners, 
who had had no previous experience in the kind of 
life we were leading, they were horror-stricken with 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 135 

our appearance ; but they attributed it entirely to 
our indolent habits, for they could not believe that 
men professing to be Christians, could be so totally 
devoid of humanity as to reduce the helpless beings 
in their power to such a terrible condition of wretch- 
edness. They accordingly charged us with being the 
cause of our dirty appearance, and jeered at us, when 
we told them we were powerless to prevent or im- 
prove it. AVe, knowing full well that they would 
soon learn the true state of affairs, forebore to reply 
to their taunts. 

In a brief time, they had wasted their money, and, 
when it was gone, they could endure the climate and 
the fare no better than we ; as soon as the soap they 
had brought with them, was exhausted, their appear- 
ance was no cleanlier than ours. The pine smoke 
penetrated their skin, as it had done ours, and ground 
itself into their flesh ; frequent and copious ablutions 
would not remove it from them ; the soft soap they 
received once in three or four weeks, whitened their 
skins or cleansed their hands no more than it did 
ours ; and their clothing rapidly became filthy and 
worn ; in a few weeks they mingled undistinguish- 
ably, with their fellows. They soon began to decline 
under the horrible treatment, and in a short time, 
hundreds of them were placed in the grave. The 
money they put in circulation, doubtless saved many 



1 36 FOURTEEN MONTHS JN SOUTHERN TRISONS. 

a man^s life, for it ofton I'ell into the liands of those 
who, nfter an experience of eight months of prison 
life, knoAV how to economise tlieir little funds. The 
thousands of dollars spent by them, while they added 
a few comforts to others, proved of brief advantage 
to themselves, and in the end they were the means of 
hastening their nnhapi)y fate; for they could not 
easily assiniilnte to the habits of the other j>risoner8, 
and died before they coidd become inured to the cli- 
mate and fare of the prison. 1 believe T stale the 
truth in saying that, before that fatal sunnner was 
past, twt> in three of those two thousand strong, 
robust, healthy men, that came among us. Hushed 
with spirit and hope, slei)t their last sleep in the pris- 
oners' grave at Andersonville and Milieu. 



CIIAI'TKR VI. 

lluIai-KnnK.ijt of tluj Htocikado- Tho Cainj) at Daylight Hlieltoij. -• 
rJooynK-AppeaniiKU) «,f tho PriHo/uiiM^ U/^Il-nttll-Hiok-Cttll 
Markot -'J'lio HuU.-,r HinuKKlorH-Maimfar.tiir.jrM (UmMon.- 
Water-PorUfyinK "Kai(U,iH" Hix Moi. IIiu.K |'„Iir,(, J'otili- 
tloni»-WriUtiK Lett<jrM-Itooolvln« Kxr>rc«.« Hoxow • Jriddontn. 

In Mi(i pr(UMHliii);rC'I,ap|,.,. .,„ ,iM,o,n],lJ,aH l,ocii made 
to infivxliim. |J,(, reader to Uk, Htockade, '.-in'^i' to ivV 
late tlie extent of tbo preparatioiiM inade for our 
rnam'f-enanee tlu-rc, l.y tiM, oflieerH having eliarge of 
tlM5 priHon ; io M„. preHent, it will he tlie author'H aim 
to Hhow th(. n.ethodH a(h>j)ied hy the priHonerH thein- 
MelveMto Hii]>HiHt iipoi, tlie Hcai.ty rneai.H a/Torded 
t lieni ; to;^r(.MH.,- with other mattern pcirtaiiilng to th« 
Htoekade itKelf Th(, next Chi^do.v will nhow No,„e of 
tlu^ n^HuItH ofonr treatrrwuit. 

In the (.arly part of the month of .June, the number 
oltlie priHoncirHhad in(M-eaMed to ilx'iarlyt wen tytjiouH- 
and tiwu, ThuHe wavi'. erowh^l into an area con- 
taining h'^iH than eleven a*treN, after dedueting the 
MpaeeH inrlndrd in th(^ Hwanip and (hwid line; and a 
further allowance being made for the various Mtr«eU 



10 



138 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

and paths, there will bo loft to each man a plat oon- 
taining twenty-four square feet, or six feet in length 
by four in width. As the number was almost daily 
increasing, under an order from the Wai* Depart- 
ment at Kiehmond, that all the prisoners East of the 
Mississippi should be concentrated at this point, it be- 
came necessary to| c^largej t^e dimensions of the stock- 
ade. It had been proposed to the prisoners to do tliis 
sometiuiftiu tliedattor; pait pfJUay, but they had re-. 
fused tt) Cdlnply' with th^fequest, preferring to remain 
in their crowded state to aiding their enemies in any 
manner, fearing, among other objections, that ,such 
an act would be construed to their disadyant.i^ge by 
their own Government ; they alsp hoped, that ^ fhe, | 
rebels, knpwing this objection to takhig pcOit iii.,th43 
>vorl>:, woul,d enlarge, the enclosure for humani.^y's 
sake; how far the h}^imajiity of the, rebels could be , 
confided, in, will be amply illiistrated during the prq- 
sress of this.nai-rative. ^ Finding, h^Jwever, that their 
numbers were, constantly increasing,. ,and^,Gej^., j\)rjn- 
der's order to Capt. Wirz " to ,,j)i^,th9^,di-;7-j.f laz^^^ 
vac^abonds three deep if they hoM out longer," h^n^ 
report<,dto thenijthey finally consented to perform 



the labor.'^^ uk ohn hoMo •"-"• I"- 

Some tlurty men .were selected , for tl\e purpose, 
each of whom gavQ a, verbal parole^ to .m^ke no at- . 
tempt to escape while on this duty : they we^]e t^^^^.n'l 

»!;,•. (ill jim'Mm;/ .'tit ' I' • Mi •".<<■ -Hi .< 



IN HOriTHMliN I'lllHOSH. I f*,0 

))i*ovi<l<'(| wilJj JixrtH n.H(l HpjirlnH, jiihI net, ;i,t, vvoik. 
The CTihu'gC'JrHifit wa« marh; upon lli(;NorfJ) ctii] ofUic 
old HtocMndo, ',irn\ v,xicM(]o<\ Homo, i'oviy renin it) I(!n^ih}" 
:i,(nl, if tlnH nHtimufi! Ik' rorrcci, llir- adfjjijoii wonl'l 
infiliHi(5 «om(; ten }ic;r(!H of I.'infl. 'I'Ik; wlioN; W'orl< 
wn,« coTKrlnrlod jihout tbo l«tof' .liil\', linvinf^ r;ofif,in- 

Wh(!n all wan coniplctod, a lew f(!ct oC tin; ohj wull, 
wiiif'li vvJiH HtJII H,l,;i,rir]iTj^ })f!twf*nn tii(> two pf>i'tions of ' 
th<; pen, waH takrvn <1owm, making an opening ten or' 
twelve f<;(;i h\ w'\t\\}\,i\ir<m^}\wh]<-li)ih<:Viv]ufj:i,\(\c soon 
liogai) to pour ItH filUiy cnrreTif,. Thn nurrjher r)^ do- '' 
lachrnfintH at; iliiH tirrir*, was Dinoty, oiu^ finlfof vvliu^li^ '' 
IVoffi iJic foity-fiffJi npwanl, wan to he, t.ransfVuTCfl 
1,0 IJm! ?i(',vv jfv<)\\\)<\. At t(!M o'f.lo^tk tlif; niovifi^*^' 
common or!( I, an'! it (iontinuofl until tlir- Hiin }ia<l 
lon^ ^ronc, down. ' Morr; than ion tlionSMinl hhmi 
f)a«Hed th/-ou;^h tlic. nnrrow ofM-nin;^ ; all (••.L<j;('r to ruHli 
in and iflftpf!<rt their iKrw ^juart^ern. The; rn>wd waH 
HO great, tJiaf, tin; Hi(;k, falling down In tlu- pr(!HH, 
were trodden upon ;uid kilh^d ; slvnurf rnen beeanu! 
wedpjed in ])('t-w(Mjn tlic. inoviii^^ maHH and the Htand- 
ing tirnberH and were cruHfied ; men, carrying all 
their eai'thly goodH, wretched though they worit, yet 
preciouM to them, dropped a Tittle ciip or a piee(i of 
ragged blank(it, and ftt.ooping to pick il, up and \)rc 
«erve it, were overthrown, trampled upon by the 



140 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

hurrying feet that could not turn aside, and left a 
shapeless, hideous mass of broken limbs, bathed in 
blood. How many were thus killed outright is not 
known, but a large number, both of the strong and 
weak, were so injured that they never recoy^ered. It 
is painful to contemplate this miserable scene, which 
a little foresight might have prevented. Had the 
oificers of the prison taken the charge of the removal 
in hand, as they were bound in virtue of their 
office to do, the frightful tragedy would never have 
occurred ; and many a man, who dated from the fatigue 
and the injuries received upon that day, the disease 
which terminated in the grave, might have survived 
to be finally exchanged. Had the Cofenderate au- 
thorities ordered the detachments through the open- 
ing, one by one, assigning to each its place in the 
new ground as it entered, the whole might have 
moved harmoniously, and the work would have been 
completed in a few hours at most, without hurry, con- 
fusion or disaster. 

The whole area now occupied by the prisoners in- 
cluded twenty-five acres, and was spacious enough 
for all necessary purposes. The tops of the few trees 
which had been cut down within the new enclosure 
were left upon the ground, and the partition wall 
V torn away by the men for their own use ; for a time 
there was much inij^rovement among us. but, when 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 141 

the wood was gone, which had been thus furnished, 
and the constant trampling of feet had beaten down 
the grass, the new stockade became like the old'one, 
and the inmates of each undistinguishable. 

The better to understand and appreciate tlie lior- 
rors of the situation in whicli we were placed, I will 
take the liberty to introduce the reader into the in- 
terior of the stockade, and point out to him, the daily 
routine of the place, together witli the appearance of 
its inmates. Let him not shrink from the terrible 
sight ; for here he will witness how a noble si)irit can 
overcome the weakness of the body, with its strength ; 
how the brave heart battles with the slow, steady, 
but certain approach of the dreaded foe, who con- 
quers all at last ; and will learn a lesson of patient 
endurance, of calm, yet fearful suffering, of sublime 
courage, that will raise his faith in humanity, and 
arouse his deepest sympathies with men that can 
suifer all this, buoyed up and sustained by an ardent 
love for that country, upon whose altar they offer 
themselves a sacrifice. 

We obtain our passes from Capt. Wirz, and pre- 
sent them at the south gate, where they are examined 
by the officer in charge of it, who pronounces them 
all right and turns us over to the sergeant, with orders 
for our admission ; he thereupon opens a little wicket 
^nd we enter. Passing hurriedly down the Avagon 



142 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

road, we cross the dead-line, without halting, lest the 
sentry may mistake us for prisoners and tire upon us, 
where we come to a halt and take a brief survey of 
the scene. ' It is early morning, and. the first gray 
streaks of dawn are lighthig up the sky ; but the 
bright rays of the sun, itself still below the horizon, 
seem to pass far over our heads, as if to avoid a con- 
tact wath the loathsome objects around; as birds are 
said to tly liigh above the sea in whose bosom the 
cities of the i)lain lie engulfed. Before us are the 
"huts" of the prisoners, looking like little n-regular 
lieaps of black rags, strewn thickly and in inextric- 
able, confusion over the ground, lying beside which 
are human forms, stretched at full length upon the 
sand, their upturned faces black with grime, and 
their naked bodies wet with dew; they lie in this un- 
sheltered manner, because they have nothing to pro- 
tect them against the night. Two tall trees stand in 
the corner, off to our right, looking grimly down upon 
the piteous spectacle. Turning round to our left our eye 
passes rapidly over the low, white belt of fog tliat 
stretches across the pen from w^est to east, where lies 
the swamp from wdiich those sleeping beings draAV 
their water, to quench their burning thirst, or cleanse 
their filthy garments ; beyond the fog, we can faintly 
see a continuation of the irregular heaps which had 
attracted ou)' attention at first, and the diin outline, 



' of'tlift wall, ii[)ori \vlioH(» loj) tin; - H<»ntry staridg with 
HJieepleHH (!yc, liiH long tnnHkcfc gle^ruirig in the brentk- 
ing light, like a bar of po]?«hf!^d silver. Tn the dini 
perHpective Wo descry the Hkelcton Toof of a loii<^ low 
building, in the Northwest extremity of the yard, 
])ut its outline is too faint to be e*^dmined frorti this 
pj^int. Witliin the wallK, a 'strip of uhocefipilid 

"grmmd, 'a few yards in width, stretches arolind' the 
whole; the enclosure made by the dead line, a; fid to 
tread upon it is death. The damp inOming miftt ris- 
es uj)on the ])lac(;, as the air grows warmer froth:" the 
ascending sun; and the view is shut out from otir 

^^yes. ■''""' ■'■'' 1" '^i- •■') !■' !tt!'l' if ('♦'»i •.•»•(([; 

Treading lightly; lest we disturb those slumbering 

' b<iings,i whom it would be cruel to brliig back t<y rrtis- 

''cry,''frbm the blissful un con scioUflriesis into 'ivhi^h 

ihey have wunk, let us examine the huts before -tis. 

'^Phe first that mdets our eye is formed by fastening 

long stiipes of cloth together,' with wooden* pins, 

which ifii then stretched 'aorosfi a coiiplelof ji'o|6B,ithat 

•' ii^e pHced with one end upon the ground', 4hb' other 

• resting' upon a bank of sand laborotislyrakfed'a' fefw 

' feeb hi^b, bythle hands ; -if is'-^en^ -like 'ftt-^llisJ- work, 

and black with smoke an<i dirt, and affords? fa«overi!ng 

only in spots to the wre1/6hed beings lying bbneatbdt. 

Further Oft- is another style Of habitatioHj^^fOfr' these 

things contain all the hous'ehold j^oods of' t^wb^ 'or 



144 rO^RTF.EX MONTHS 

three men ; — this consists of but two parts, a short 
pole' set upright in the earth and a pieoe of blanket 
sti'etched over it. Xext to this is a hole scooped out 
in the sand, in which the owner while lying upon his 
side, can have a support for his back, and here half 
a dozen, nearly naked men are lying, Avith their faces 
turned from each other like pigs ; but into it the rain 
sometimes settles, and drives the unfortunate occu- 
pant, into the pelting storm. Another form of the 
burrow is an improvement upon this primitive hab- 
itation ; three or four have joined together in excava- 
ting beneath the surface, first digging a hole some 
three feet in depth, of the size of their bodies, and 
afterwards scooping out the sand at right angles to 
it ; into these they crawl and are protected against 
the heat and storm; but the line particles of which 
the roof is composed, becoming detached ujjon the 
lightest jar, drop down in their faces, threatening 
to smother them in their sleep. Here we find anoth- 
er hut; this has been built with adobe, formed from 
a bluish clay that was found near the swamp ; with 
much labor and patience, the poor felloAvs have 
moulded the materials with their hands and dried 
them in the sun ; three walls have been built, three 
or four feet high and slightly inclining towards the 
center, over which they have stretched an old shirt, 
which can be made of more service here than upon 
the ow^ner's shoulders. 



IN SOUTHJ5KN PlirSOIfS. 145 

But Kome of these nhelterH are of a higher jrrade 
of (comfort, and are inhabited l>y tlicj ackno\vleclge<l 
" aristoeraey" of tile prison. Tlicy are construete<l 
of sla]>s, split from pine logs, which they had brought 
in from the suriounding forest, during the time when 
tlie jH'isoners were permitted to liire a guard to go 
there with them. They are of sufficient si/e to ac- 
commodate six or seven men, and form a complete 
])rotection against the weather. They are high 
enough to allow the occupant to stand erect ; little 
slabs arc placed around for seats, pegs and sh(;lves 
are arranged upon the walls ; bunks of " ])in(; 
straw " are made upon the ground ; and a door shuts 
out the beating storms. The last structure which we 
will examine is formed by placing several poles 
parallel to each other, over which two blankets sew- 
ed together are thrown, Ibrming a burrow some 
eighteen inches high, and as long and wide as the 
blankets will allow. Its inmates must crawl beneath 
it, and when in, are quite well protected. Very 
many of the men, those whom we see lying about us 
on the surface, are unfurnished with any *' shanty," 
either dug in the ground or built upon it. They aie 
mostly late arrivals, who have not yet been initiated 
into prison life, and are waiting to learn how to take 
advantage of the few conveniences that are furnished 
them. If we were allowed to tro out into the woods 



146 POUETEEN MONTHS 

we could all be proAdded with cabins ; for we are 
willing to help ourselves in every way possible; or if 
fear of our taking advantage of the brief liberty, to 
make our escape, prevents that, let the authorities 
bring us logs and furnish axes for us, and We will do 
the rest ; or supposing that to involve too great ex- 
pense to the Confederate government, let us draw 
upon the money of Avhich they have robbed us, and 
we will purchase the materials and hire them brought 
to us. It is not the fault of these men that they are 
destitute, for they are utterly helj)less in the hands 
of their enemies; and these, unfortunately for us, 
are too little inclined to pity, to assist us, and too 
brutal to allow us to help om-selves. 

While we have been inspecting these novel shel- 
ters, the sun has risen above the horizon, and the 
prisoners begin to apj^ear; for in the middle of the 
day, the heat is too fervid to admit of much activity, 
and all the little " chores," which are necessary to 
be performed, must be completed during the cool of 
the morning. The half naked, squalid wretches, 
black with smoke and dirt, feebly drag their emaciat- 
ed forms from the holes into which they had crawled 
the preceding night, and begin their prej^arations 
for the coming day. Passing quietly across the 
swamp, we hasten up the rising ground on the North 
side of the stockade, where a full view of the scene 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 



4i7 



may be had at a glance. Taking our station at thg 
summit, we watch the tattered forms, as they creep 
slowly by, making their way to the creek for water ; 
they approach the little stream, some carrying tin 
cups, Or pails made of empty fruit cans, into which 
they have inserted strings or wires, to serve the pur- 
pose of handles; some bearing smalL buckets or 
wooden pails which they have fashioned with their 
pocket knives from pine sticks, or occasionally one 
of larger dimensions, formed Avith staves and hoops ; 
while others bear old boot legs tightly sewed togeth- 
er, and many, very many go empty handed, having 
been unable to procure anything in which to carry 
the liquid. There is here every variety of dress, too, 
from the apparel of Adam before the fall, to a ragged 
coat and pants ; and these seem to have grown up- 
on their forms, like bark upon a tree, so black and 
dirty have they become. There are men with one 
legged pants, and with no pants at all ; men with 
coats of which one of the sleeves has been torn away 
for bandages, leaving the bare arm e:jiposed ; men 
with no covering but a pair of dirty drawers, too 
much torn and worn to be decently described ; men 
without socks and shoes, or with one expiring shoe, 
the sole being upon the point of departure ; hatless 
men, their long locks glued together with pitch and 
rolled up like ropes, hanging over their sunken eyes. 



148 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

Tliey gather into a sort of file, when they reach the( 
swamp and pass upon the planks to the creek, eachl 
stooping down in turn to dip his little cup into thet 
water, and turning back to seek his quarters again. 
Five thousand men at this hour in the morning, daily) 
visit this spot to get water for breakfast, while thee 
partner of each remains behind to watch their com- - 
mon " effects." But behind this press that walks toj 
the water side, come other men, who cannot walk;; 
they creep upon hands and knees, or crawl uj^on theirr 
breasts, pulling their bodies along by burying theiri 
elbows in the sand; these miserable beings, the vic- 
tims of starvation, and the consequent diseases, writhea 
and twist themselves to the stream; but they come 3 
not all back; for, overcome Avith the fatigue of theirr 
laborious effort, they creep to one side of the pathi 
and die. 

Presently little fires spring up upon every hand, , 
sending out wreaths of smoke which rise a short dis- 
tance above the pen and hover there in a dark cloud, 
through which the sun looks red. Let us jipproach 
these fires and examine the culinary department off 
the prison. Here are three miserable looking beings \ 
gathered around a few bits of blazing pine, which 
they have placed in a hole, to economize the heat ; 
their hands, faces and garments are black with soot 
and dirt, and their Saxon features alone distinj^uish 



IN SOUTHEEN PRISOKS. 149 

them from the negro. They mix the little ration of meal 
with water and a few grains of salt ; this mixture they 
knead upon a chip, using the utmost care that no 
particle of the meal be lost, and place the dough 
upon another green pine chip and hold it before the 
smoking fire. It is painful to look upon them during this 
operation ; to see the greed in their hollow eyes, 
vs^hile they watch the crumbs that occasionally drop 
rom the narrow chip, as the compound, partially 
dried, is shaken by their trembling hands ; and to 
lote how anxiously they seek each tiny morsel among 
:he dirt and ashes, and carefully replace it, when found. 
The bacon is toasted before the fire upon a stick, and 
yhen cooked, has an oily, smoky taste. The mystery 
)f their black appearance is easily solved ; pass your 
land slowly through the smoke that rises from their 
ire, and the oily particles of soot, cling tightly to 
t ; water will not dissolve it, and they have no soap 
o act the part of the " mutual friend" and brin^ the 
pposing elements into harmony. If you rub your 
land upon your clothes, or your face, the black 
tain is left, and continuing the operation for a few 
loments, you-i>have the same general look as the 
risoners. 

This is a fair specimen of the manner in which the 
] 
read is pl-epared for eating; yet there are other 

nproved methods, while there are those that are 



150 ^ FOl'KTKKX MONTHS 

cvon worse. Somotiinos a pone is iwado l>\ iliose 
who Lave bako-pai\s ; othovs again make mush, upon 
which a little sorghiiin is spread ; some try tl\e doiiixh 
ill fat saved from the baeon ; and yet others nuike 
dumplings, or rather little round balls — in short, 
every change that hungry men can devise with the 
tow conveniences they have tor the }nu-pose, is rung 
u^Km the pittance of corn meal allowed them. Hut it 
remains corn meal in the end, notwitlistaiidiug the 
thousiuid devices to render it palatable. 

Ci'ossing the narrow paths that wind tortuously 
among the "shanties," trodden here and there with- 
out method, by tlie weary teet of these wretched 
men, let us pause before this stri}> ot' black blanket 
that is stretched over a couple of poles. Stooping 
low* down we discover a soldier stretched out at full 
length upon the bare ground. He is literally '* alone 
in the world," and we learn upon questioning hinv 
that his comrade, but a day or two ago, died by his 
side, and has been carried out. Ho is too tccblc io 
rise, as ho tolls us, and expects soon to be borne 
away in his turn. His face is begrimmed with dirt, 
his hjvir is long and matted, the dju*k skin upon his 
hands and feet is drawn tightly over their skeleton 
frames, shrunken, calloused, dried, as it were, to the 
bone. He makes feeble replies to our inquiries, but 
we learn that he passed the long, dreary winter on 



iJclIc Jhla/Kj, whiisii i\ui Ktarvatioa and axitohure i/j 
\.\i(i «evero cold nowed tbexeedK of d'lHea/iti i/j liin 
My^tcm, \rho8(; «pcedy end will be an obhcure* death 
and ;ii/,unk/< own grave, ilc Ih hopcloJjH, rwctki^} with 
pain,} Ite knofWM that a fvw dajM at mont will and \i\n 
m'lHiivy ;, but l4<? complaiwH not of IiIk hard fate, s^nd 
('xpraHHiiH hJH willJngncHg to Hufi'nv <jn, if neccHBary, 
or th(; love of that (:(j\Hitry, whose life he lian tried 
to Hav?5, 

A i'aw htep« to the right we h'rjd a hideous object, 
yifig in a hole, whi^jh his hand« have 8cooped out in,, ^ 
the Hand. 'Jlie tattered fag8 that partially cover him, 
cannot conceal the bonew that gleam through the 
Hkin ; hiH eyen move fearfully in bin head, hh hands 
cJcneh tightly together, Inn limbn are drawn up, in 
horrible contortion«, by the cramp. The only motion 
of which hiH body ih capable, in a slow rolling from 
Hide to |iide upon his back as a pivot, and the vermin 
erawl in vast armies ov^r his wretched person. Ife 
takes no notice of passing objects, unless particularly 
addressed, for the world is rapidly going out to him. 
1 facing our ear to his lips, we gather from hifii fain 
whispers, that but a short time before, he had left 
Home New England College, flushed with hope and 
(courage,, to batthi for liberty and right. A fond 
mother presf^ed her lips to his ]>row, as, with tearful 
eyes she bade him farewell ; u kind sister iu cheering 



I5f> rOFRTE-ElSr MONTHS 

words urged liiiii on to duty ; a brother's hand wrap- 
ped the garb of his country's defenders about his 
form ; and, in the fieUi he had performed deeds of 
valor. He was captm-ed, and — even while we linger' 
beside him, a faint shudder passes through his frame, 
and all is OA^er. He too, will soon be borne away to 
a nameless grave ; and his loved ones shall seek in 
vain to distinguish him from the thousands that sleej) 
by his side. 

Just in front of us, we see a throng gathered about 
an object, which, in other places than this, would 
draw tears of sympathy from the hardest heart, but 
scenes of horror are so frequent here, that this excites 
but a passing interest. It is a young soldier, born 
and reared in a fertile township in Ohio ; his early life 
had been passed among the pleasant vales of that 
noble State ; every kindnesi? which parental love 
could bestow, had been lavished upon him, and he 
Iiad ranked high among the promising and intelligent 
youth of his country — a man of talent, of literary 
attainments, of noble instincts. But reason is now 
dethroned, and he tears his tattered rags from his 
emaciated form, in his frenzy, gnashing his teeth and 
foaming with rage ; but the paroxysm is momentary ; 
his strength is exhausted ; he fills to the ground 
helpless as infancy, and is borne away by his com- 
rades. 



IX SOUTHERK PRISONS. 158 

There is one form of disease which is almost too 
horrible to be witnessed, yet we cannot understand 
the wretchedness of the 2:>rison without looking upon 
it. This is not a solitary case, but we shall find 
numerous similar ones, before we leave this living 
charnel house. We instinctively pause as we reach 
the awful sight before us, holding our breath lest we 
inhale the terrible stench that arises from it. Here 
is a living being, who has become so exhausted from 
exposure that he is unable to rise from the ground, 
suffering with diarrhea, in its last and worst form, 
lie is covered with his own faeces ; the vermin crawl 
and riot upon his flesh, tumbling undisturbed into his 
eyes and ears and open mouth ; the worms are feed- 
ing beneath his skin, burying themselves, where his 
limbs, swollen with scurvy, have burst open in run- 
ning sores ; they have even found their way into his 
intestines, and form a living, writhing mass Avithin 
him. His case has been represented to the Surgeons, 
but they have pronounced him incurable, and he is 
left here in his misery ; in which he will linger for 
three or four days more. Proper care and treatment 
would have saved him, long ago ; but not now, — and 
liis comrades abandon him to death. 

While we are gazing upon this sickening spectacle, 
the drum beats at the South gate, and the prisoners, 
dropping their half-cooked food, hasten to form them- 
11 



154 FO'UKTEEX iCOXTlIS 

selves in ranks, preparatory to being counted. Being 
arranged in ii-regular lines, tlie strong men standing 
for the most part, with uncovered heads, — having no 
liats,— the weak sitting or lying upon the ground, 
the Sergeant passes carefully around to see if all the 
ranks are full, and searches among the huts for those 
that are unable to crawl to the line. Raising our 
eyes, we observe tliat each sentry box contains two 
additional men, and that they grasp their muskets 
with a firm hand ; the prisoners observe it also, and 
they know well that some of their comrades were 
missed at the last roll-call, and that the sentinels are 
there to fire upon any division that breaks ranks, 
before the camp has been thoroughly searched. The 
officer comes forward, hastily passes from the head to 
the rear of the column, counting the standing men ; 
the Sergeant leads him to the sick that still remain in 
their hovels, unable to creep out, and to the dead, 
and the complement is filled ; he sets the division 
down as full and passes on, the men still remaining in 
line. Let us also pass on with the officer, till he comes 
to the division to which the missing man belonged. 
It is drawn up in line like the others 5 the Sergeant 
reports his number present ; the officer examines his 
book and finds that one is gone. The Sergeant shakes 
his head when asked what has become of him ; the 
men in rank are interrogated, but no reply is obtained. 



IN SOUTHERN PKISOX.S. 155 

A sick man lying upon the ground, points to a hole 
near hy ; the officer goes in the direction, stoops down 
and looks beneath the thin shell of earth ; and there, 
in the bosom of his Mother, — the Mother of us all — 
the missed one lies, dead ; dead, unknown to his com- 
rades, — to all, but the God who saw his dying struggle, 
and who will bring him in the last day, a living wit- 
ness against the fiends that doomed him to such a 
fate. 

The lost man found, the extra sentinels are relieved, 
the men break ranks and resume their occupations ; 
but the Sergeant has work yet to do, for the sick of 
his division are to be gathered up, the helpless upon' 
blankets, tliose able to walk, in squads ; and all must 
report at the South gate to receive their medicines. 
We pass over to this gate and cast a casual glance 
upon the mass of wretchedness gathered there. Nay 
shrink not, there are worse spectacles than this in 
this horrible pit ; there are sights here to freeze the 
blood, scenes of suffering with which the most fright- 
ful pictures of the horrors of hell, bear no parallel. 

Gathered here from all parts of the Stockade, and 
crowded in the small space, is half an acre of human 
beings, suffering in every form of disease. Some are 
lying upon the blankets, upon which they have been 
brought ; some are prone upon the earth, where they 
were laid by their comrades; some have crawled 



156 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

hither upon then* hands and knees ; and here they 
must remain for many long hours, in this broiling 
sun, without shelter or protection, waiting, — waiting, 
till their turn shall come to be served ; yet, fourteen 
surgeons are busily working in yonder little enclo- 
sure, and each has his assistant, who can prescribe 
for most of the cases. 

Here are to be seen the ravages of scurvy and 
diarrhea, of dysentery and fevers, of hunger and 
exposure ; and as we stand looking upon the j)utrid 
mass, writhing in hideous contortions, a sickening 
stench arises from it, that penetrates, for miles, it is 
said, around the prison. We see men upon whom 
scorbutic sores have been long at Avork, and great 
holes are eaten in their faces ; theii* limbs are black 
and swollen, or like rotten flesh, discharging a yel- 
lowish matter that emits this most offensive odor ; in 
some the eye has been destroyed and they grope 
blindly about in the crowd. And here, too, are 
emaciated forms, too Aveak to walk, and they turn 
their hollow eyes pleadingly upon us ; they are the 
victims of diarrhea; their fleshless arms hang lan- 
guidly by their sides, and their hollow cheeks are livid 
with leanness. But few of these men can be bene- 
fitted now by the Surgeon's skill, many will call for 
it, but a little while ; even while we stand here, some 
have felt the last agony, jand expired. 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 157 

We turn horror-stricken away from this scene of 
misery, and, crossing the swamp iij^on loose boards, 
reach the street leading back from the North gate. 
Here is the grand business center of the Stockade ; 
for it is said that the "Universal Yankee" to supjjort 
life, must trade, and that no two of that enterprising 
race ever met without " swapping " something.— 
Whetlf^rthis "unappeasable hankering" for trade 
had anything to do with the origin of these hucksters' 
stands or not, it is unnecessary to inquire ; it is suffi- 
cient to know that here are gathered some thirty 
thousand Yankees, and that a regular daily market 
has been established, at which the owners realize 
what are to them great profits ; for many of them can 
more tlian double the prison ration daily, besides pro- 
viding themselves with clothing and comfortable 
shelter, througli this constant interchange of articles 
of food. 

Going upon the street and facing East, we advance 
through the line of stands upon the N"orth side, noting, 
by the way, the various articles of traffic. Here are 
booths arranged in fancy style ; a rough slab split 
from a log that had been brought in for the purpose, 
or purchased at a figure which would appal a trades- 
man in our cities, and covered with a clean raff, or 
sometimes a strip of paper, cut in various patterns, 
forms the counter, aud upon it, is spread the stock 



158 rOITRTtJEN MOJfTHS 

in trade, in such a manner as to attract the attention 
of the passer by ; over the wliole is stretched a wretch- 
ed piece of blanket, an old coat, or a shirt, for an 
awning. There are others, consisting of nothing but 
a rough board which is f\^stened upon four stakes 

driven into the ground ; the most common kind, how- 

* 
ever, is wicker work formed of pine splinters, woven 

together with considerable skill and taste. 13 ut l>y 

far the greater number of tradesmen are those who 

have no stands, and who carry on their " little business " 

upon the street. These men generally have but one 

or two articles for sale, and carry them in their hands ; 

or, if they have nothing but meat, by impaling it upon 

a stick and hawking it about the stockade. First and 

foremost of these traders are those who deal in the 

necessaries of life, — as peas, pones, wheat-flour and 

biscuit, corn-bread, corn-meal, soup, potatoes, rice, 

meat and salt. These articles are of course held at 

almost fabulous prices, owing to the difiiculty with 

Avhich they are obtained, and only those who are flush 

in funds can afford to purchase them. In addition to 

these, are articles of luxury, — tobacco, onions, eggs, 

soda, red peppers, gingerbread, soap, taffy, sour beer, 

tea, apples, peaches, watermelons, pails, wooden 

dishes, thread, buttons, &c. &c. In exchange for 

these a great A'ariety of things are taken,— as money, 

gold and silver watches, and rin^s, shrewdly secre- 



TV ROUTHERNT PRISOX«. 159 

ted from the; lynx-eyed officials, during the search 
j)rior to admission to the prison. In default of these 
things, tlie purchaser gives an old pocket-knife, a 
mug carved from wood, in making whicli he has spent 
mucli patient lalxjr ; rings made from bones that 
formed a part of the meat ration, and laurel pipe-bowls ; 
all of which are readily taken, because they can be 
disponed of to the guard. Upon inquiring the price 
of some of these " goods " in greenbacks, we are told 
that wheat-flour sells to-day for one dollar per pint ; 
peas for thirty cents ; corn-meal, fifteen cents per 
j)int ; soup, five cents per half canteen ; salt, twenty- 
five cents per table sjjoonful. If we wish for luxuries, 
we are informed that for a peach we must pay fifty 
cents, for an apple, the same. Tobacco is one dollar 
and twenty-five cents a plug ; a plug is nine or ten 
inches in length, by three in width, and is the cheap- 
est luxury the market aftbrds ; while for soap we must 
pay one dollar and a half per bar, or go unwashed. 
The itinerant traders, like all of that ilk, the world 
over, are the most noisy and persistent ; having little 
to sell, and tliat of a poor quality, they try to make 
up for their lack of imj^ortance in this respect, by 
crying their wares at the toj) of their voices. "Who 
has this nice ration of beef, for ten cents, only ten 
cents ? " " Who has this dish of rice soup, well sea- 
soned with salt and pepper, warranted the best on 



160 FOUBTEEX MONTHS 

the ground ? '' " Here you can buy your cheap onions, 
only seventy-five cents apiece." "Who has this nice 
pail, warranted not to leak ? " " "Who is the next 
lucky man for a plate of rich, bean soup, nicely pep- 
pered and salted ? try it before you buy, and if you 
dou't like it, you needn't take if "Roll up, gentle- 
men, and get a glass of sour-beer, quick, it's nearly 
gone." " Sour-beer ! sour-beer ! t'will cure the scurvy 
in twenty-four hours, and will not intoxicate," &c. 

It is a matter of much curiosity how these articles 
are procured for sale, and if Ave can gain the confi- 
dence of one of the heaviest of the merchants, he will 
inform us that they ostensibly come through the prison 
sutler, but in reality the most of them are smuggled 
in by the guards. This sutler is one of the tools of 
Winder, Wirz and Quartermaster Humes, and it is 
his mission to parade his wares temptingly before the 
famished men, and wheedle them out of the articles 
of value, which could not be found when they were 
robbed, giving a mere pittance in return. It is re- 
l^orted that he has been authorized by the Richmond 
Government to trade for greenbacks, as a special 
favor to the Federal prisoners, it being treason for 
any one owing allegiance to the Southern Confed- 
eracy, to trafiic in the I. O. U's of Uncle Sam., with- 
out a permit ; but it is understood that these green- 
backs ftall, ultimately,, into the hands of the prison 



IN fiOUTHERX PRISONS. 161 

officers, who store them up, or put thein in circula- 
tion among the farmers in the vicinity. To preserve 
a irionopoly of trade for themselves, the officers have 
issued an order, making it a great offence against 
tlie peace and dignity of tlie Confederate States of 
America, for any citizen or soldier, save and except 
the sutler aforesaid, to offer for sale, sell, barter, or 
excliauge, any article of food or luxury with the pris- 
oners in Camp Sumter confined, under the pain and 
penalty, if the offender be a soldier, of long and rig- 
oious confinement in the block house ; and if it be a 
citizen, of punishment by fine. 

But all these punishments dp not prevent a contra- 
band trade being kept up between the sentinels and 
the prisoners ; for, upon dark nights, when the keen- 
eyed military spies, ( called detectives, for dignity's 
sake) can not see, at a preconcerted signal the sentry 
throws a stone, to which two long strings are attached, 
across the dead line ; one of these strings has a loop 
ring at the end, and is so arranged tliat it readily 
slides upon the main cord; to this the prisoner 
attaches the article which he wishes to dispose of, and 
the guard carefully draws it up to the box, for exam- 
ination ; if it is satisfactory, he returns the particular 
commodity agreed upon, and the " trade " is comple- 
ted. In this manner, a lieavy contraband business 
Is almost nightly carried on, resulting in great advan- 



^(^'2 FOrKTKKN MONTHS 

tacre to botii sido^ — the prisoiior snvinsx his lito, por- 
haps, and the sotitrv obtainino- a g'old watch for wbiob 
he cxohang'cs tlour, poa^, Ao. ; bosulos, tho ** raw 
matorial " can l>c purclmsoJ nuu*h ohonpor of the 
sinuggUn- than throuu"h tho rosriilarly aiithori:'.o«i 
trador : while tho prv^soneo oi' tho lattov nt'Oiumts to 
tho olhoors tor tho appoaranoo of artiohv^ unknown to 
prisonors' rations, and tnrns snspioi(>n away tVoin ihv 
i'ovmcv. 

l>osidos thoso markets, wo tind vari^nis nianutMO- 
tories, ^Minkor 8hi>{>s" and h.-irhor sliops, whori> tho 
busy workman hibors all ilav "totnrn an Inmost 
penny/^ ov to pass away tho tinio, and i^'^i'i ^I'l oxtra 
ration. 1 loro woodon buokots aro niado by thi> whilom 
cooper, with pine staves aiul hoops ; rinu's oi' bon(\ 
and pipes oi' laurel, by the )i>\voUor, who also cleans 
and repairs yonr watch, if yvui havi* one : l\i'ro. also, 
the brewer proparo>< his sour-beer, by pnttino- a pint 
of coru-nieal into a pailful oi' >\ ator, adding- a little 
sorghum molassi>s, ov a rod pi>pper if ho ha-; it, and 
lotting it stand in tho sun till it I'ormonts, w !umi the 
liquor is decanted. This "sour-boor" has a ready 
sale, tor it is a really valuable romovly for the scurvy, 
being, as its name in\ports, aeididous, and tastinglike 
newly lermented eider. \Vo also tind the bakeries in 
this locality, which consist, merely oi' an oven, uumi 
itor-shaped ; tho -'nnmitor" is u\ad;' by tii-st placing 



/ 



a Ifiyar ttt'llm ittml ihnnd mtur Uic huamp, ujK>n th« 
f^round fnr f.Ji<'- fiotf.oin, fjpori wh'icAi a }i<'jaf> of Hund Ih 
raiwr'd, of* Uxi dcMircd Hluip^. ;ui'i 'Jifrj<r;nHioiiK ; ovav 
thin a layf^r of mud Ik then ))lac<id, with an o|><iJ)bjg 
for th« mouth and 'thi/rjfjoy, and it i« left to dry in tho 
HiHi, Wh«n it in thoroughly dried, the oven i« heated, 
and th^. dou/il/ or in'-at \)uktt<\. ^I'he "monitor" in 
jij<ffferally a partnerHhip eoneeni, one of the fij/n jr;- 
mainiiijL^ at home in th(} capacity of cooV, while the 
other dinpOKCH of tin; artieh.'H on the mark<;t; they 
al«o take in the raw material and hake ii on shares, 
and thii8 turn i.\i(>Af labor info food. Ih-re, 'd'^ji'in, we 
Mhall find hrokej-.s' oftices, whisre Confederate scrip in 
exehanf^ed for gr«enbackM, for j^old and silver coin, 
and watches, rings, <fee., and where th«! I^roker sits 
the entire morning, changing moneyof all kinds and 
doHcriptions ; making his premiums by the differenert 
in value between the Confederate Blue, — and the Uni- 
ted Htates C-Jreenbatik. In fa<;t wit can find almoHt 
every ki»jd of induHtiy witliin this d'nj, wlierein men 
engage to ker-f) Ih'ir fhon'dif^ away from tl)''* misery 
uround thr*m. 

Hut tin'i'c aiv' placeK, also, where tlie viecis are nur- 
tured, — gambhirs' standn, where men sit ail day over 
cards and dice, tempting fortune, cheating, fighting, 
lying, swearing. Here are chuck-a-luek boards, three 
rard mojite, seven uj* and "Hcven over," faro banks, 



164 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

and all the smipler devices, by which men are whee- 
dled out of their money and valuables by tricksters, 
under pretence of an appeal to the fickle Goddess. 
It is not strange that men who have little to lose, 
should venture it all, in the attemjjt to increase it ; 
for to lose is but to hasten the evil time by a few days 
at most, wliile to win may be salvation. Therefore, 
even gamblers have their share of patronage, and 
some of them do a thriving trade. 

Leaving this busy scene, we walk around among 
the prisoners and examine their facilities for procur- 
ing water. The main reservoir is the creek, whicli 
passes through the swamp ; but it also runs through 
the camp of the prison guard, and along the base of 
the cook house, outside the walls, receiving the refuse 
and garbage of both of these ; the prisoners within 
have dug holes in various parts of the enclosure, 
laboriously excavating the earth with their hands and 
pieces of canteens, and drawing the dii-t to the sur- 
face in old boot-legs. We shall find perhaps fifty of 
these water holes, but the fluid so obtained, is pure 
and cool, and amply repays the patient toil, required 
in their excavation. INTear the N^orthern extremity of 
the swamp, is a spring, bubbling up from the marshy 
ground, which has been scooped out to a slight depth ; 
and just outside the dead line, is another, a living 
stream, flowing through a spout, iixed there by some 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 165 

daring prisoner iri the darkness of night, or, mayhap, 
by some officer, more humane than his fellows ; but 
it is beyond the reach of the hand, and. the prisoners 
tie their little cups upon a long stick, and angle, as 
it were, for the cooling liquid. 

Having examined this pen thus hastily, let us 
pass out again, where we came in, leaving these 
wretched beings, starving and dying, under the 
burning rays of this terrible sun ; and if you have 
been able, in this brief view, to understand the thous- 
andth part of the misery here endured ; to realize 
anything of the horror by which you have been sur- 
rounded ; or, on the other hand, if you can call up 
one thought of pity for the beings in authority ovei" 
us, who have allowed their humanity to be all swal- 
lowed up in their vengeful passions, and who delight 
in nothing so much as in torturing us, — then your 
visit has not been in vain. 

Some time in the latter part of July, Gen. Stone- 
man made his famous, but unfortunate raid upon Ma- 
con, the effect of which was felt at Andersonville, by 
both prisoner and jailor. There were, at that time, 
about thirty thousand men confined at this place, and 
it was greatly feared that Gen» Stoneman would ride 
suddenly down upon Us, open the prison doors and 
set us free. The valiant Captain Wirz was greatly 
** exercised " at the prospect of his experiment of 



166 FOUETEEX MONTHS 

gradually reducing the rations, until he should ascer- 
tain, with infinitesimal exactness, the precise amount 
of food a Yankee would require to support life — being 
interfered with, when it was so neai* its solution ; he 
therefore, under Gen. Winder's order, commenced 
fortifying the place. For this purpose a large force 
of negroes was conscripted, and immediately set at 
work. A strong earth-work was thrown up, some 
thirty rods from the Southwest corner of the stock- 
ade, mounting nine light guns, five of which were 
trained to bear diagonally across that enclosure, to 
guard against an uprising of the prisoners in case of 
attack; about twenty-five rods from the North gate, 
and a little to the North of it, another earth-work was 
constructed, of smaller dimensions than the first, 
shaped like a parallelogram, and mounting five guns 
three of which also bore upon the prison pen. Two 
lines of stockade were built around the whole enclo- 
sure, about sixteen feet apart, the inner one being 
fifty yards from the wall of the prison pen. An earth- 
work was then raised on each corner of the new 
stockades, except on the Southwest corner. A low 
intrenchment was then thrown up around the North 
end of the whole, which extended from the main road 
on the West side to the swamp on the East, and was 
arranged with angles so as to enfilade every approach 
from the North, East and West. If it is remembered 



IN SOUTHERN PRISOXS. 167 

that the jstockacle was built upon two opposite eleva- 
tions, it will be seen by reference to the ground plan, 
that an attack from any direction upon the force 
guarding us, w^ould be an attack against us also ; for 
a gun fired from any point would either be instantly 
silenced by the artillery in the fortifications, or its shot 
must be thrown towards the stockade, with nine 
chances in ten of its falling among the prisoners 
themselves ; — a method of release by no means grat- 
ifying to them, however well pleased they would have 
been to be taken out by their friends. Nor could the 
place have been taken by seige, for in that event we 
must inevitably have starved to death, for the tem- 
per -of both Gen. Winder and Capt. Wirz was such 
that they would have taken away all our rations for 
the use of the garrison, and reduced us to the last 
extremity, before they would have yielded the place. 
The prisoners were thus made the chief part of their 
own security. 

Had Kilpatrick made a raid upon Andersonville at 
any time before the fortifying of the place, with a 
force of five thousand men, and an equal number of 
extra horses, with arms and equipments, ten thous- 
and able bodied men would have mounted the walls 
with a cheer that would have made the Heavens ring. 
Indeed, it was currently reported and believed, among 
the prisoners, that an exchange had been postponed, 



168 FOURTEEN >[ONTIIS 

in order that our Government might re-capture us ; 
and bright hopes of speedy release animated our 
hearts. For days the poor fellows cast their eyes 
Northward and Westward, straining every nerve to 
catch sight of the liberating host, or hear their heavy 
tramp in the adjacent forest. The sick stretched out 
theu' bony arms to receive the expected succor; the 
strong nerved themselves to fight bravely for the 
coming freedom. It was a piteous sight to see them 
smk back, day by day, and the old look of despon- 
dency creeping over them, as the bright hope grew 
fainter and fainter, and a deeper gloom settled down 
upon them, when the last flickering lamp expired. 
Had the War Department been advised of the true 
state of the defences, it might, with little difficulty, 
have released us all, at that time ; but after they were 
erected, the place could not have been taken without 
exterminating us. 

In the early part of the summer, the camp Avas in- 
fested by gangs of thieves and marauders, who com- 
mitted their depredations upon the peaceably dis- 
posed, both in the open light of day and in the 
darkness of the night. Men were robbed of money, 
watches, rings and blankets, openly and by stealth ; 
some, who were known to have money, disappeared 
mysteriously and were never heard of afterwards ; 
assaults were frequently made in the streets, the vie- 



IJS 8UUTHE11N riilHONS. 109 

liin knookerl Jowii Jind tci'ribly beaten with clubs, 
aixl his jKjckcts rifled of tlieir contents; it became 
neccHsary for the prisoners, in lying down to sleep, 
to atta(;h their valua}>Ie«to themselves, in such a man- 
ui'V that they conhl not be taken, without arousing 
the slumlierei* ; and to such a pitcli of confidence and 
desperation did the ruffians reach, that no one felt 
secure in retaining anything of value upon his pej-- 
son, either by day oi- by night. These villains were 
called Mosby's Raiders, Mosby's Gang, or more fre- 
<|uently "ICaiders;" they seemed to have a regular 
organization, with leaders and subordinate officers ; 
and single resistance to their assaults was useless, 
for the gang was always ready to support any of its 
members when occasion required. Occasionally a 
raider was caught by a strong force of the prisoners, 
and " bucked " or gagged ; but this punishment was 
little regarded, and the criminal after being released, 
signalized his repentance by knocking down and 
robbing the first man that came in his way. They 
liad means of knowing and marking the man who 
liad money; and secretly arranging their plans, way- 
laid him when he was off his guard, or picked his 
pockets in the crowd upon the market, or while at 
the creek for water ; but the more usual method by 
which they oj)erated, was by opeji assault; in these 
cases, th(qjlaee wher(j the intcmded victim concealed. 
12 



170 fourtee:^^ months 

his money, was first discovered, when he was sur- 
rounded by the gang, one of whom seized him by the 
throat, to prevent his crying out, while the remainder 
relieved him of his treasure. For a long time no 
notice of these enormities was taken by the prison 
authorities ; in fact, had they been disposed to take 
the matter in hand for correction, they would un- 
doubtedly have failed in accomplishing any good 
result, on account of the difficulty of identifying the 
miscreants. 

Some time during the latter part of June, their vil- 
lainies reached a climax; one afternoon, a man was 
assailed by the gang, knocked down, beaten with 
clubs until he was covered with blood ; his bones 
were broken, deejD cuts made upon his body with the 
bludgeons, and his watch and sixty dollars in money 
taken from him. This brutal act aroused the whole 
camp, for if such atrocities were longer permitted to 
pass unpunished, every man Avas liable to similar 
treatment, at any time ; a number of the prisoners, 
among them the victim himself, represented the facts 
to Gen. Winder, and appealed to him for protection ; 
but he refused to do anything more in the matter, 
than sanction any action the prisoners themselves 
might adopt. At the request of the latter, a force of 
Confederate soldiers was sent into the prison and 
eighty-six men were arrested, taken out and placed 



IX SOUTHEEN PEISONS. 171 

under a strong guard. The prisoners within the 
stockade, demanded a trial by jury for these men, 
and their demand was acceded to by Gen. Winder. 
For this purpose, Capt. Wirz summoned all the Ser- 
geants of detachments and divisions, laid the matter 
before them, and proposed that they request each of 
their respective divisions to select one man to repre- 
sent it. This was accordingly done, when these rep- 
resentatives chose twelve of the most unprejudiced 
from among the men in the stockade to act as a jury, 
selecting for the purpose, those who had but recently 
arrived, and had, for that reason, seen but few of the 
raiders' operations ; a presiding officer was appointed ; 
counsel assigned both for the prosecution and the 
defence; and a clerk, or Secretary designated to 
record the proceedings in full. -^ 

When all the preliminaries were perfected, the ac- 
cused were separately tried; the assault upon the 
man as described above, being the particular crime 
in question. The trial was held in the little enclo- 
sure around the ISTorth gate, and continued about a 
Aveek ; men were summoned from the stockade as 
witnesses, and closely and rigidly examined by the 
counsel for the defence, who had been an Attorney 
before entering the army ; and every precaution was 
adopted in sifting the evidence, so as to ensure a fair 
hearing for the accused. When all the witnesses had 



172 FOURTEEN :MONTPiS 

been examined, the judge summed uj) the evidence, 
and presented it to the jury, who, after duly consid- 
ering it, found six men guilty of robbery and mur- 
der, and eighty not guilty, upon the specifications 
presented at the trial. The six convicted men were, 
thereupon, sentenced to be hung, and the 11th day of 
July named for their execution. When the trial was 
completed, the criminals were j^laced in the " laying 
down stocks" and under strong guard to prevent 
theii- escape, where they were retained until the day 
of the execution. Meanwhile, the prisoners in the 
stockade, had j^rocured lumber of the prison com- 
mander, and about midway the South section of the 
enclosure, and a little South of the wagon road, had 
erected a scaffold of sufficient hight, that all within 
could witness the execution, and ropes were formed 
by splicing cords belonging to shelter tents, and such 
other things as could be adapted to the purpose. 
When all was in readiness, the criminals were brought 
in and delivered into the hands of the jirisoners, by 
Capt. Wirz, with these words : "Here, men, I bring 
you back the prisoners in as good condition as I re- 
ceived them ; you can take them and do as you please 
with them, and may God help you." They were then 
taken in charge by the prisoners and conducted to 
the scaffold, where they were placed upon the drop, 
their hands and feet fastened in the usual mannerj. 



IX SOUTHERX PRISONS. 173 

a cap drawn over their faces and the noose slipped 
over their heads. At the signal, the trap door was 
sprung, and five of the guilty men, swung off into 
eternity. The rope of the sixth broke, and falling to 
the earth he made an effort to escape, but he ^VRS 
soon re-taken and securely suspended by the side of 
his fellow criminals. The bodies remained hanging 
for half an hour, when they were taken down and 
placed in the " dead house," from which they were 
soon conveyed to the grave-yard, and buried. A full 
account of the proceedings from the beginning of the 
trial to the burial, w^^s written by the Clerk of the 
Court, and transmitted by flag of truce to the Gov- 
ernment at Washingto-ii. 

It is painful to record this event, to contemplate 
these men, who disgraced the colors they wore, by 
their atrocious deeds ; but justice to the prisoners 
themselves requires that a full statement of the case 
be published. Some of the prisoners within the 
stockade, disapproved of the proceedings, consider- 
ing that tliey had no right to interfere, to the extent 
of depriving their fellow-men of life ; the criminals 
themselves threw their principal defence upon this 
point, although each asserted his innocence to the 
last moment. There is no doubt that this terrible retri. 
bution was both just and necessary. Their lawless 
depredations had spread a complete terrorism 



174 ror«TEEX moxths 

throughout the stockade ; no one felt secure at any 
time, either iu his treasure or his life, either by day, 
or by night; they had prosecuted their villainous call- 
ing so long, and with such impunity, that they seem- 
ed to have abandoned all precautions for conceal- 
ment in their operations. It was a matter of neces- 
sity that condign punishment should be inflicted up- 
on the guilty parties, in order that the peaceably dis- 
posed might enjoy the lunited rights allowed them, 
unmolested. There was surely no reason why this 
additional horror should be added to the already 
overwhelming wretchedness we were forced to en- 
dure ; and the inalienable right of self-preservation, 
secured to us alike by natural and human law, de- 
manded the infliction of the punishment these guilty 
men suftered. 

There is no doubt that these men were guilty of 
the crime of Avhicli they Avere convicted. The evid- 
ence before the jury Avas l)oth voluminous and ex- 
plicit ; they were impartial men who had not suft'er- 
ed in any manner from their depradations. They 
had ample time to consider and weigh the testimony ; 
and more than all, some of the ill-gotted gains were 
found in the posession of the accused, and identified 
by those from whom it had been taken. A less com- 
plete chain of circumstances has often led to the 
conviction of murderers in Courts of Justice. 



IN 80UTHEEN i»RISONS. 1 75 

Of the character of these men, little need be said; 
that they were ruffians before entering the army, was 
evident from the ease and metliod with which they 
entered uj^on their career of crime, at Andersonville, 
and the entire absence of all restraint against a full 
and free indulgence in tlieir vicious propensities, left 
an open field for their operations. The ease with 
which they effected their crimes and the good living 
consequent upon their possession of ready means, 
with which to patronize the sutler and the markets, 
Avere allurements which they neither tried nor wished, 
to resist. The consequences of their wickedness fell 
upon their own heads, and the justice of their sen- 
tence is vindicated by the necessities of the case. 

The course pursued by the Confederate authorities 
in the matter, is also deserving of credit. It was 
well known to tliem as it was felt by the prisoners, 
that light or temporary punishment would not an- 
swer the purpose ; and they did not wish to bear the 
responsibility of inflicting a severe one. They there- 
fore, turned the accused men over to trial and pun- 
ishment by their fellows, only placing within their 
reach such facilities as w^ere necessary for carrying 
out the sentence, whatever it might be. The names 
of the men who were executed, are in my possession, 
but consideration for their friends, if any such remain, 
induces me to >vithhold them ; a fuller statement 



1*76 FOU«TEEN :>rONTHS 

than this, can be found among llio papers in the War 
Department at Washington. 

After the execution of tlie raiders, quiet and secur- 
ity prevailed among the prisoners. Little acts of 
petty larceny occurred, as is usual in all camps, 
however Avell regulated, hut nothing of particular 
value was stolen, and no more brutal assaults were 
made for the purpose of robbing the victim. A police 
or vigilance committee, was organized, or rather 
organized irself, among tlie })risoners, for the preser- 
vation of order in the camp. The purpose for which 
it was designed was good, but there were acts of 
meanness perpetrated by these policemen, that de- 
serve the severest censure; for many a poor fellow, 
unable to help himself, was unmercifully beaten by 
them, without any reason for their so doing. Yet 
on the whole, they performed their disagreeable duty 
with as much leniency, perhaps, as could be expected, 
although sometimes failing to discriminate between 
the innocent and the guilty. In virtue of their office 
they received an extra ration, daily. 

Sometime in July, permission was obtained from 
the Confederate government, for a number of men 
to proceed North, for the purpose of carrying to our 
Government, a statement of the situation in which 
we were placed, together with petitions for relief. 
These men were to be paroled on reaching a flag of 



IN SOUTHERN PRISOXS. 177 

truce point, provided a like number of lebel prison- 
ers were also paroled by tlie United States authori- 
ties; otherwise they were to return immediately. A 
mild statement was drawn up, setting forth the fact 
that we were witl)0Ut shelter and clothing; that the 
lon^ confinement we had endured and the sufFerinji: 
and disease incident to it, to which we were exposed 
was fast reducing our numbers, &c., &c. The terrible 
ci'ime practised against us, by depriving us of food, 
and the appalling sickness and mortality among the 
})risoners, were not mentioned, or hinted at; to this 
were attached petitions for our speedy release, ex- 
pressed in as strong terms as our jailors would permit, 
and signed by a large number of the members of the 
several divisions. The papers were forwarded, 
according to the j^ermission granted, the men reached 
our lines successfully and were paroled. But no 
good resulted from this, except to the men who car- 
ried the papers, and were set at liberty ; for the state- 
ments were drawn in such a manner as to awaken no 
iurther sympathy for us, than the Government would 
naturally feel for its children, who were deprived of 
their liberty; anditwas treated as the complainings of 
men who wore unliappy in being thus restricted. 
Could the real state of the Andersonville prisoners 
liave been known, something would undoubtedly 
have beoi done to relieve our sufferings ; but it was 



178 FOURTEEN MONTHI^ 

only the most sanguine tliat. anticipated any good 
results from this mission, and they only were disap- 
pointed in the event. 

The messengers bore many letters to our friends 
at home, but as is well known, a prisoners letter con- 
tains no intelligence bearing upon the manner of his 
treatment, in short, nothing except the fact that he is 
still alive and hopes soon to be released. This meager 
news is doubtless gratifying to our friends, but at 
the same time, we would like to unburden our minds 
of the horrors with which they are filled, and receive 
their sympathy. But this is of course denied us, and 
we must sulier on in silence. 

Express boxes were occasionally received by some 
of the prisoners, but as at Danville, they had been 
subjected to search by the authorities, and after 
leaving their hands, contained nothing more than a 
loaf of mouldy cake, unfit for eating ; all articles of 
value, either for eating or Avearing, had been confis- 
cated. Packages of letters, also, came to the prison 
by flag of truce ; but under the regulations of Capt. 
Wirz, every prisoner was compelled to pay the Capt. 
ten cents, in silver before receiving his letter. It was 
very seldom that the villaiirs exchequer was benefit- 
ed by this extortion ; for veiy I'eNV men in Anderson- 
ville possessed any money of any kind, much less in 
coin. The Capt. knew vei-y well that the greater 



IN SOUTIIERX I'ltlSON'S. 17?) 

ri\\tf\})i',v of men had no money at all, and that those 
who wcic HO fortunate as to j^ohhchs GreenbackH, 
must l>iiy their silver ofhis sutkjr, [)aying therefor an 
ejiormoiis |>n;mimii. These; letters had been prcjjiaid, 
arid horf a wortliless ])hoto^iajjh of Jeff. DaviH ; but 
thin ma<h! no differenrje, the (^a})t. must liave hard 
(jash, or \\('. would k(!cj> tin; letters. And he kept 
thcin. And lliiis tills puerile scoundrel, this sneaking 
thi(;ving, (cowardly \vhij)]>er of black women and 
lKdj)lesH men, souglit to gratify, at the same time, his 
;i varices and his spite ; to torment t)>e wretched pris- 
oners, already overwliehned with disease and starva- 
tion, the result of his own barbarity. These hitters 
wer(; valueless to hini, but j^riceless to their rightful 
ownei"; and many a famished man would have bar- 
gained his day's I'ations, tlnjugh his life depended 
upon them, for tlie precious missive, bearing tidings 
of sympathy and love from home. No physical torture 
(rould equal in intensity, this deprivation ; the poor 
fellows vvhr> had s(ood in the stocks for four and 
twenty hours, nndei- a hi-oilingsun, wlio had endured 
exposure? and famine i'or months, without a murmur, 
we[)t like (diildren, wIk^u they knew that kind words 
frouj lr)ved and loving ones, had come so near, and 
were withheld ; y(»tthis man gloated osei" their misery 
and became ])rofaiie with delight at their tears ; lie 
eai'ried liie lettci-s to his office and e\'))erienced a dev- 



180 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

ilish joy in reading and burning tlieni, with no one to 
look on but himself. 

A few incidents may not be without interest to the 
reader, although there was very little variation in the 
dull monotony of our existence ; but there was some- 
times an occurrence which raised a ghastly smiU' on 
our cadaverous faces, even though it was at misery 
itself. 

A lieutenant of the guard came into the stockade, 
one day, to purchase buttons of the kind used by 
staft' officers. Some of the men had cut such buttons 
from old uniforms found on the field, and preserved 
them. AVhile he was chaffering with some of the 
men, one of them quietly slipjDed behind the officer 
and cut the buttons from his coat, and bringing them 
forward, offered them for sale. The Lieutenant looked 
at them, said they were just the kind he wanted, and 
paid the price demanded, and soon after went out, 
where he was informed of his loss. The truth flashed 
suddenly upon him, and he went back into the stock- 
ade in search of the thief; but he had mingled with 
the crowd and could not be found. He did not trade 
with the Yankees again for buttons. 

Soon after the arrival of the negro prisoners from 
Florida, Capt. Wirz sent them out to work on the 
fortitications, giving them an extra ration for their 
labor. Seeino^ "how the thino: worked,'' a white 



IS SOUTHERN PUI80NS. 181 

in.'iu l)l;i(;k(;<l liiinsclf, ko ;is to i-c'S(;iii,}j1c a, scjii of Ilatu, 
:iii(] when ill the iiioniiiig the Jiegroe.s were ordered 
to " f;ill ill i'ov woi'k," he Joined th(i pjirty. H«; ]\fld 
heeii out Ijiit a short time, liowevei", Ijefore the cheat 
waHdiKcovered, wlien Cupt. Wirz commanded him to 
])G put into tlie Ktanding KtoelcH, and after wards to 
r(*(;(;ive fifty lashes, and sent l^aek to the stockade. 
" He played nigger;" said the (ya[)tain, " I serve liim 
nigger fare." It was a rich joke for the old tyrant, 
]>ut the unfortunate culpi'it did not so interpret it. 

It was a standing oi-dei*, wJienever a Jiew lot of 
jjrisoners was admitted, that a Iieavy guard ]>e drawn 
up in line of battle, in such a mannc^r as to Hank the 
gate ; and the guns in the ports were shotted, so as 
1-0 guard against an outbreak of the prisoners. Tak- 
ing a hint froju this circumstance, some wag with an 
air of the greatest secrecy, conveyed intelligence to 
Capt. Wirz, that he had just discovered an extensive 
plot for an immediate outbreak. It was a broiling 
hot afternoon, and the doughty Captain fretted and 
swore at his raw Georgia Militia, for half an hour 
trying to get them into something like a line of battle. 
When all were ready, he stood sword in hand, at the 
head of his l)rave fellowers, swimming in perspira- 
tion, and cursing the " d — ^d cowardly Yankees" for 
not bursting through the gate, after he had been at 
HO much trouble to give them a reception. It is need 
less to add that the " Yankees " did not come out. 



] 82 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

The Captain was groatly exercised with a fear that 
the prisoners wouUi eseape, and this dread, nndoubt- 
edlv, eaused liini many sk^epless nights ; he seemed 
to think that every escape detracted so mnch from 
his honor, and to that extent, damaged his repntation 
as an officer. On this account, on one occasion, 
when the prisoners had crowded close npon the 
dead-line, to witness the introduction of a new squad 
of men into the pen, the old rascal ordered a shell 
fired directly over the heads of the throng. Xo harm 
resulted from it, but we felt that it was hazardous 
remaining in that position, and "changed our base/' 
with a degree of haste and disorder highly unbecom- 
ing a body of veteran soldiery ; but we did not relish 
being operated upon by an undrilled militia gun 
squad, when a slight depression of the piece, in their 
unpracticed hands, would land a shell in our midst. 

Sometime in the early part of August, a violent 
thunder shower came up ; the Heavens seemed to be 
one sheet of flame, and in an instant the eartli was 
converted into a wide lake. The little creek sudden- 
ly assumed the proportions of a large stream, foam- 
ing and dashing furiously through the stockade. 
Becoming dammed up by the gathering weeds and 
sticks, it finally swept down the walls on both sides, 
leaving wide gaps, through wliich escape would have 
been feasible and easy, had the prisoners known it 



IN SOUTHKttX PKIHOXS. ]H'4 

in HcaHoii. On <liHCOvcring the hroacli in tJic wall 
C.upt. Wir// fired llie nignal gun, and the whoh; prison 
guard, (^onHisting of Home Hv(; reginientK, was turned 
out, with tfie Captain at th(; h(;ad, to prevent aecident ; 
and then; th(*y wtoorl, drenched to the skin, the C'ap- 
tain'8 plumage drooj)ing lil<(; a W(;t eliieken'H, swear- 
ing at the poor Yankees, as being the occasion of his 
Hoak<;d skin. The storm, howev(;r, [)asHcd away 
h'aving the creek and swamp well rdeansed and puri- 
fi(;d ; and what pleased the Captain most, none of the 
prisoners escaped. 

On Saturday afl.(}i*noon.s, komh; of the fair .sex usually 
paid a visit tr> the stockad(;, gratifying, at the same 
time, their desire to see their hushands, brothers and 
cousins, and their curiosity to witness an exhibition 
of liv(; Yankees. These females were generally much 
pleased with the sight of us, and contrasted our de- 
cidedly untidy appearance with the looks of their 
gentler blooded friends, much to our disadvantage, 
it is to be feared. An officer's wife, a Northern lady, 
inquired of one of the Surgeon's clerks about the 
treatment of the ])risoncrs, and was answered with a 
g(;neral Htatement of tlni facts. Capt. Wirz over- 
hearing something that did not please him, called the 
man to him, and, by dint of much sharp questioning, 
h;arned nearly the whole conversation, when he or- 
dered the poor fellow back into the stockade again. 



184 FOURTEEN MOl^TIIS IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 

After this, we were proliibited, by an order, Irom 
conversation npon tlic treatment of the ])risoners, 
Avitb any one not connected with tlie peJi. 

Some of tbese little incidents seem ont of i)lace ; 
and to laugh at tlie brutal 'jokes ' played oif upon us, 
is like smiling in the fxce of death. ])ut they exhibit 
the total unconcern, manifested by our jailors, for our 
misery, and the ease with which men deliglit in tor 
turing others in their power, when all their better 
feelings are absorbed, by the base passions of hatred 
and revenge. 



CHAPTER Vli. 

KatictfiB— Cook IIoumos— EwcapcH — PuuiHhnientH — llftmoval of Hos- 
pitals— Siok-Call— Hospitals— The Dead— The Burial— Gen. Win- 
der— Capt. Wirz. 

Oil the IfiJlli <lay of Muy, 1 vv.'is jiiU'olod us a Sur- 
j^coii'k (;l(3rk, aiul removed JVoni the interior <)i' tlie 
stockade; iroiii tliis tiiri(;, during the day I was at 
liberty, when oft' duty, to wander any where witliin 
the circuit oi* a mile, but at niglit was placeil under 
guard at the Jiospital. When my duty was done for 
the day, I generally imjjroved the oi>portunity to look 
al>out me, and to examine, as fai" as I could, into the 
practices of the priHon authorities. Ity this means, I 
became acquainted, not only witli the cliaractor ol* 
the men and their disposition toward us, but also with 
the manner in which the whole government and sup- 
])]y of the prison was conducted. 

The rations consisted of corn-meal, hacon, fresh 

beef, j»eas, I'ice, salt and soi'ghum molasses. The 

corn-meal was unbolted, some of it ground with the 

cob, and oftcMi filled with sand and gravel. Much of 

13 



186 J&'OyiiTEEN MONTitg 

it had apparently been put up while vvarnl, and had 
become sour and musty, either during transportation 
or Avhile in store. The bacon was lean, yellow, very 
salt, and maggoty ; it had been brought to us un- 
packed, and was covered with dirt and cinders ; it 
was so soft with rust that it could easily be i^uUed in 
pieces with the fingers. The beef was slaughtered 
near the prison, to which it was brought and thrown 
down in a pile, in the IsTorth cook-house, where it lay 
until it was issued to the 23risoners. Here, in the hot- 
climate, it was soon infested with flies and maggots, 
and rapidly changed into a greenish color, emitting 
an offensive odor peculiar to decaying flesh ; it was 
very lean, but the heat rendered it quite tender, be- 
fore it was served up. The article denominated black 
peas, or cow peas, was brought in sacks, apparently 
just as it had left the threshing ground of the produ- 
cer; having never been winnowed or cleansed of the 
fine pods, and the dirt which naturally mingles with 
all leguminous plants, while growing in the field ; 
besides, they were filled with bugs, and many of 
them were so eaten as to leave nothing but the thick, 
tough skin of the j^ea, in its natural shaj^e. The rice 
was sour or musty, and had apparently been put up 
in a half dried state, where it became heated and 
wholly unfitted for use. 

There were two cook-houses used in connection 



IK SOtJTHERK p:^tsoKs. 187 

with tlie prison ; the first of these was in process of 
erection when the detachment to which I belonged, 
entered the pen, and went into operation about the 
middle of May. It was located on the North side of, 
and near the swamp, West of the prison, and was 
subsequently enclosed by the defensive stockades. 
At the time it was built, it was supposed to be of 
suffici^ent capacity to perform all the cooking neces- 
sary for the prisoners, and contained three large brick 
ovens and several kettles, set in brick work, for boil- 
ing the meat and peas, or rice ; but it being found 
inadequate to supply the wants of the men, another 
building was constructed some time in the latter part 
of August; it was located about a hundred yards 
:N'orth of the defences, on a Hue with the West wall 
of the prison. This was designed andnised exclu- 
sively for boiling the peas and the meat, and con- 
tained, perhaps, a dozen large potash kettles, set in 
brick work; the old cook-house was thereafter used 
for baking the corn-meal. A strong force of paroled 
prisoners was appointed to perform the work in these 
cook-houses ; but with constant labor, it was unable 
to supply our wants, and about onehalf of the rations 
were issued raw. 

The meal was prepared for baking by first pouring 
it in quantity into a large trough made for the pur^ 
pose ; a little salt was then added, when water enoucrh 



188 FOURTEEN' MONl^HS 

was poured in to make it of the proper consistency, 
and theAvliole stirred with sticks to mix it thoroughly. 
The dough was baked in sheet-iron pans, twenty-four 
by sixteen inches in surface, and two and one half 
inches deep ; the whole was divided into pones con- 
taining about a pound, and each of these pones con- 
stituted a day's ration of bread for one man. The 
utmost cleanliness could not be observed in mixing 
this"stuft';" the meal, as above stated, was partly 
corn and partly cob, and often contained materials 
that Avere neither of these ; the water was dipped in 
quantity from the creek, and no means of cleansing 
it were furnished, and these, v\^ithtlie haste necessary 
to be made in preparing the dough, conspired to make 
the mixture unpalatable and sickening, particularly 
when cold. The prisoners who had charge of the 
cook-house, undoubtedly tried to prepare the food as 
well as they could, but all their efforts were vain, 
with such limited facilities as they had. 

The 2)eas and rice were boiled in the North cook- 
house ; they were turned from the bags as they were 
brought to the prison, without cleansing or separa- 
tion from the chaff and dirt, into the large potash 
kettles containing the water in which the meat had 
been boiled ; the cooks here as in the South cook- 
house had no means of cleansing the raw material, 
and had they possessed the facilities, they had no 



IX SOUTHERN PRISONS. 189 

time to devote to tlie purpose. To winnow, semi- 
weekly, a sufficient amount of peas for 16,000 rations, 
allowing a third of a pint to each, requires a long 
time, even with tlie aid of the best machines ; but for 
twenty men to pick over, by hand, this vast amount, 
is simply im230ssible. Of these cooked rations there 
were daily issued to each prisoner about a pound of 
bread, a fourth of a pound of bacon, or four or six 
ounces of beef (including the bone) in place of the 
bacon, and a teaspoonful of salt; twice a week, a pint 
of peas or rice were issued in addition, and occasion- 
ally a couple of tablespoonfuls of sorghum molasses. 
Sometimes, a sort of mush was made to take the place 
of the pone, but, although it was a change from the 
monotonous corn bread, it was so unpalatable that 
the bread was preferred. ^ 

About half of the rations were issued raw, because 
of the vast amount of labor necessary to cook them 
in bulk at the cook-houses, or rather, because the 
Confederate authorities were too poor, too indolent, 
or too brutal, (probably the latter,) to furnish facil- 
ities for the purpose ; had the prisoners been pro- 
vided with the means, they would gladly have 
])erformed the requisite labor. Tlie manner in which 
these raw rations were issued, has been already de- 
scribed ; it is only necessary to state here that their 
amount was such as would make the same quantity 



190 FOtKTEEX MONTHS 

as the cooked, and tlial tluv wore issued alternately 
Avith the hitter, one lialfllie |irisoners reeeivinix vaw 
food one day and eooketh the next. I liave here given 
the cjuantity i^sned during the early ]>art oi' the sea- 
son ; hut as the hot weather advanced, and the num- 
ber eontined here increased, the daily allowaut'c di- 
niinislicd, until it became but a nien^ morsel to each 
man. J low we cndurcil such }>n>li>nged lamiiu' is n 
mystery; and that ten thousauil men were that 
sunnncr killed, in this nu>st liorrible oi' ways, by 
Gen. Winder, aided, advised and comforted by 
Capt. AVirz, is most certain. 

From the inauguration of the prison, constant and 
frequent attempts at escape had been made by the 
prisoners ; and, although in ahnost all cases, these 
etibrts had i)roved fruitless, the men were Avilling to 
engage in them, at almost any hazard. Hut the at- 
tendant ditnculties were numerous, and hard to be 
overcome, andhadui) end till tlie nniaway was safe 
Avitliin our own ai'iny lines. Xot only were the walls 
of the stockade to be passed, under the scrutiny of 
of the sharp-sighted guards, who were stationed upon 
their summit, but there were guards posted at night 
around the ]>rison pen, with bright tires burning, so 
as to render il iuipossible to pass them without being 
discovered. In addition to these precautions, a pack 
of fifteen blood-hounds was kept near at hand, which 



IN MOUTHKKX VHIHOSH. J 91 

wo,rn iiVi'iy inornin;.^ )<•<! jirr^un'l tJHi Hl/><;ka'l<', vvlnff, 
if'Un! l.r:i'',k ol'tlif; Ciir^iliv*- uuh 'li«covcn"I, if. waK fol- 
lowed iij) f;y Uk; 'logH, until jic wan 1oii)j<I, or t}i«; 
!S(M;nt wan Jont ; and, aM if t.liCHC wer<; not, Hufficicnl, 
HcoutM wi'A'(t ]>\ckiiU'<\ uj^on f Ik*. j>rinei)>;il joads at a 
'liHtaiKJC of Mom<; fifteen niiioH from AridcTKonville, to 
)nt<!rc<ej)t ili<! fii^itivcH travclin;^ upon tli<; lii^liway. 
'I'lxi iHiai't'Mt point of Mafcty wan nearly two huri'lred 
tfiileH dintant, and roidrl l;e i-«;aelied only hy erohnin;^ 
an (enemy's e.ountry, whert; to iinjiiire for food or di- 
i(;<;tion, would l>o re-eaf)tnre ; yet the fugitive niUHt 
HCA'M botFi thene, with the only alternative of ntarva- 
tiori oj" heifig U^kI. 

But with all thene ditheultieH hefore him, many a 
rn;in attempted to c;K(;aj>e from th(; prison, and al- 
tliou^^h few (tver succeeded, th(?ir niiKfortune in no 
wine (iitUiVvuil othern frojn making tlie endeavor ; and 
many perniHted in tlieir effortH, (^veri after neveral 
unMuee(;HKful attcfUiptH. TIkij; were, of course, many 
wayK adoj)t(^d in g<ttting outnide of thc^ Ktoekade; 
HOfue, tliou^li tiie nundjer was i\tw, Hcaling the walJH 
with tin; aid of a neniinel who had been bouglitover; 
oflw^rK paHhiuM- out in the ration wagonn ; one mafi 
Himulated deafli an<l was e.'tr'ii«!d out hy his comrades 
and deposifc<|iii i|,r. " dc;i<! house," from uliichhe 
depart e<l, when it l»e(%'une sidliciently dark ; still oth- 
ers feign(;d sickness, and wavi} taken to the hospital. 



192 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

whence they fled. A frequent method of escape was 
to ehide the guard, when the prisoners were foraging 
for wood, in the forest, but this was soon stopped by 
Capt. Wirz refusing to permit them to go out of the 
stockade on these foraging expeditions. In fact, 
every method was so strictly guarded against, by the 
officials, that the same mode could not easily be tried 
a second time, without danger of immediate detec- 
tion. 

But the most frequent attempts to escape were by 
means of tunnels, the nature of the soil being peculi- 
arly favorable to their digging, though but few ever 
succeeded in getting away by this means. There was 
no want of labor in excavating them, or of persever- 
ance in carrying them on, and nolackof persistence in 
beginning new ones after the old had been abandon- 
ed and filled up, on account of its being detected. 
But there Avere traitors in the camp, who to curry 
favor Avith Capt. Wirz, and to gain an extra ration, 
divulged the Avork, before its completion, Avhen he 
would \dsit the spot and direct the unlucky operators 
to re-fill the "d — d hole," under penalty of being de- 
prived of rations, until it Avas done. The only im- 
plements the prisoners could obtain, Avith Avhich to 
dig the tunnels, Avere half canteens, and their hands; 
and the dirt Avas removed in luwersacks, and bags 
made of coat sleeves, or other cloth AAdiich could be 



IX SOUTHERN PRISONS. 193 

picked up, and was thrown into wells, or the swamp. 
'The time for performing tlie labor was during the 
darkness of the night, while the tunnel Avas yet in 
its infancy ; but when it became advanced, one of tlie 
joint operators dug during the day, removing the 
earth to tlie mouth of the hole, whence it was carried 
away at night, by his partners. Weary weeks and 
months Vv^ere spent in these long tasks; but aflcr 
continued and patient labor ; after, it may be, some 
who had begun the enterprise, had found freedom 
through the gates of death ; after the work v/as 
brought so near its completion, that liberty seemed 
within their reach, these patient laborers, compelled 
to abandon the scheme by tlie cruel and cowardly 
informers, yet nothing disheartened, formed a new 
plan, selected a newj^hvce and carried on a new tun- 
nel, to end in the same manner as the first. A ser- 
geant of a Minnesota reghnent, told the author, at 
Millen, that he had been engaged in digging thirteen 
different tunnels, every one of which had proved a 
failure, through the re})orts of his fellow prisoners to 
the authorities; yet, he said, he was as anxious as ever 
to try again. 

At one time, several important tunnels had been 
for a number of weeks in operation, before l)eing 
discovered, and a general i)lan of escape based upon 
them, was resolved upon. They were to be carried 



194 FOrETEEX MONTHS 

directly beneath several of the sentinel stands, and, 
when the stockade walls were reached, the earth was 
to be excavated five or six feet back from the timbers, 
leaving a shell at the top of snfficient thickness to 
prevent its falling in, by its own weight ; when all 
was ready, a number of strong men were to hurry 
rapidly past the dead line, after dark, and push the 
sentinel stands outward, Avhen an organized force 
was to be in readiness to rush through the openings, 
overjjower the guards and seize the forts and guns. 
Desperate as this project seems, it could easily have 
been effected, if it had not been divulged. In all 
probability many of the prisoners would have made 
theii' escape, for we had men capable of commanding 
us, and the guard, being raw militia, would have 
been easily overcome in the surprise and darkness. 
The leaders in the plan were arrested and put in 
irons. The scheme did not seem chunerical to Capt. 
Wirz, for immediately after it was discovered, he 
caused the stockade to be strengthened by spiking 
scantling across the logs, so as to prevent their being 
pushed over. 

The fact that tunnels were being dug was easily 
discoverable, by the color of the dirt thrown up in 
heaps, around the enclosure. There Avas one, how- 
ever, which troubled the military detectives consider- 
ably, and which was not discovered, until reported 



IX SOUTIIKKJV riilKONS. 195 

• by Hornc. ul' tli()S(; \v\\() wore in tluj s<3cr(;l. It was 
begun ill one, ol' i]\v. wells, at ji propci- d(ij)tli Irom the 
Hiirface ; tlie workmen labored upon it every nii^lit, 
until Ilea?" (biyli^^ht, wlien, (;oneea]ing their work }>y 
placing a board three or foiii- iin^heH front the mouth 
of'tlie tunnel, and filUng the intervening space so as 
to make it j'esem]>le the side of the well, they retired 
to their l>MJ-rows for the day. Apian so ingenious, 
and so faithfidly persisted in, deserved better suc- 
cess, but the traitors getting liohl of the secret, an 
extra ration of corn liread overcame their sense of 
honoi". It set^med impossible for a iiiinibci- to escape 
togetluir ; for where there was a combination, there 
was sure to ])e a foolish or weak one;, to turn inform- 
er. It would also secim impracticabh; to construct a 
tunnel among so great a number, so secretly that 
noiu; but those engaged in the woi-k, should know of 
it; yet such was the case in several instances. 

After the fugitive had released himself from the 
stockade, his next effort was to elud(i the pursuit of 
the dogs, but he was generally overtaken by them 
sooner or later, notwithstanding eveiy precaution he 
might make. The animals employed at Anderson- 
ville, were owned, it was said, by an old negro-hun- 
ter, who lived about a mile fi'om the station, and 
who received iifty dollars from Cajjtain Wirz for eve- 
ry prisoner (taught, through their agency. Armed 



196 FOUKTEEN MONTHS 

with a pair of navy revolvers, astride otliis mule, and 
aeeompanied by liis dogs, tliis old man made liis ap- 
l)earance every morning, at Captain Wirz's head- 
quarters, and passed around the stockade, liis dogs 
meanwhile snuffing the ground eagerly ; when the 
track was fonnd, the successful animal, set up a fear- 
ful yell of announcement, which was answered by 
tlie remaining members of the pack, when the man 
upon the mule's back blew a ferocious blast upon tlie 
horn, he carried slung over his shoulder, and all the 
brutes set off together, with rapid speed, in the pur- 
suit. 

When tlie prisoner luid a " good start " of twenty- 
four hours or more, as was sometimes the case, the 
chase was long and difficult ; but nothing would throw 
tlie fierce hounds from the track; they followed on, 
through swamps and thickets, over hill and ravine, 
across streams of water, and through the woods, until 
the unhappy fugitive was overtaken. Two of the 
dogs, of the pack employed at Andersonville, were 
trained to attack the man, at a signal from llie keej)- 
er ; and this signal was sure to be given if any resis- 
tance was offered. Some of tlie fugitatives were ter- 
ribly bitten, Avhile oifering resistance, and many au 
one, who had ehided the guards and ])ickets, had 
been returned to the prison witli legs, nock and ears 
])itten and torn in a most fearful manner, and nearly 



ly KOUTUEUN I'UIHONH. 1 Ul 

(l(';ul vvilli loSM of Mood. Sonic, ofiJic woi'sl- <;;iS(;S of 
g{in/^r(!ii(; ill tJu! slockado, origiii.'ilcd in llic incrc/dcH.s 
])itc! of lli<'S(; ,s;iv;i.j^(! Hiiiniids ; and no nuMliciiH! vvas 
fvcr issikmI 1,o tlic, vic-linis, nor were Uicy mIIoummI to 
!)(' r(unov(Ml to i\\(' liosj/ital. J)<!atli \>y liant^in^j^ oi- 
tlic ))iill('t was j)r(d('ral>l('. to tlic slow jn-oricss oCdc^tiay 
c-jiuhcmI i)y tlic, gaJigruiic, which was ccjlain to inl'cct 
th<! wounds tlicy liad receive*!. 

The prisoner upon reeaj)tiire W'dH 8u1>jeeted to 
S(!Vei*al grades (d'piinishinenl, tin; (irst ol' whieli was 
tile " standing Htocks." This instriinKMit ol' tortnre, 
<'(jiialing in l)aihiirily ;iny tiling whieli history lias 
ascrn>e(j to the eiinning invention ol' tin; Sjianlsh Tn- 
(juisition, vvas forined of i'oiir nj)riglit j>osts strongly 
eonneete<l tog<!tlier at tlie top and bottom, so as to make 
a nearly square rrame. lljion the sides ol' this frame 
and iKjarthe top, W(!re moveable; bars, in vvhi<di lioles 
vv(!re eut i'or tin; hands ; (!aeli of the l>ars was made 
to Koparatc! into two jiarts,, I'oi" reeeiving the aim— 
tlio iiotclies fitting closely to the wrist, when the hand 
had Ix'cii j)laeed in jiosition. Al)ove these l>ars, and 
at I'iglit angles with them, intlu; middle of the frame 
were; two otJier bai'S, containing anot(di for tin; iiecdv, 
which also had a lateral and a perpendicular motion, 
the latter to (iiiabh; tlnnn to be adjusted to the liight 
of the (;idprit. vVt the bottom vv(!re two similar and 
j)arail(d bars, wiLh not(dies fn- the legs. When the 



198 FOURrEEN MONTHS 

victim Avns "put uj)," his loot Averc first fastened, 
tlioii liis arms exteiuled oil a line jtarnllel witli tlie 
shonlders, and also fastened, and iinally his neek 
" shut in," Avhen he was left to his misery, for twenty- 
fonr lionrs. Tn this painful position, nnalde to change 
in the least degree, starving, thirsting, bleeding, 
Avith the hot sun of a July or August day pouring 
Hoods of liquid ii re uj)t)n his uni)rotccted head, the 
sufferer paid the initial penalty of his rash attempt 
to regain his liberty. After the stocks came the ball 
and chain. For this punishment two men were usu- 
ally required; a thirty-two i)ound cannon ball was 
fistened to the outside leg of each, with a chain 
about two feet long, and another ball, weighing six- 
ty-four pounds, chained between them ; the chains by 
which these balls were attached to the legs, were so 
short that they could be carried only by attaching a 
string to the thirty-t\\'0 pounder, and raising it l)y 
the hand ; the sixty-four ])ound Aveiglit was support- 
ed by a stick, Avhen the victhns wished to " walk out." 
The "jewelry" Avas continued, upon the men for three 
or four weeks, or during the whhn of Capt. Wirz. 

There was one refinement upon the ball and chain 
wliich deserves special mention ; it was devised by 
Captain Wirz himself, and did great credit to his 
fiendish nature, and his hellish gust for torment. It 
was denominated the "chain gang," and was used in 



IN SOUTHKIiN I'JUSONS. 109 

only one iiiHtanco. The '' <^;iii<^ " ;iL (ii-Ht contained 
1 ;W(!lve iiicii ; llicy were lirst InstciMMl topjethcr with 
short chains, twenty in(;h('S to two feet in h^ii^tli, 
\vhi(;h w(!re atta(;lM'(l to iron (;oll;us, i-iveted around 
tlmir nc^cks, eac^li man hein^" tlius eliained to tin; man 
on his rii^ht and h'll, and tli<!tw(!iv<; loiMninj^ a, cii'cle; 
to on(! IcL^ ol'eacdi a thiity-tvvo ])oiind hall was eluiin- 
ed, while oik; si\t,y-loni' |»r)iiiid(^r was iastene*! to 
eveiy lour l)y the; otln-r le*^-. '^riiere was no j»OHHible 
)nanner in whieli tin; men ctould McmIowii, sit down oi* 
stand erect, with any degi-ei; of ease ; yet tlx^y werc^ 
lv(;j)t in this state foi* four weekH, in tlie open <;i-oun<l 
outside tlie stockade, (ixposed alike; to storm and sun, 
witli no eovei-in<^ ]>ut their ragi^ed (dothint^, and no 
])i*ot(!ction against the cold dewrt of the night. Oik; 
of th(; gang was si(;k with (yhrouic Dysentery, but 
tlie surgeons' (dei'ks were all foi'hidden to give; liim 
any medicine, and lie died under the torture. Ife 
was taken out of his irons, aftei- he wan dead, and 
the remaining eleven forced to carry his share of the 
weight, attached to tliemHclves, until the period of 
their torture had expired. The crime for whicrli tlu^se 
men were " put up " in this atrocious manner, was 
an attempted escape; Home of thcuii had broken fi-om 
th(! hospital, and others had been i"(;-captui-ed once 
b(dbre. 

Another form of ynniishment, but somewhat milder 



L!00 KOUilTKKX MONTHS 

was niloplovl lor loss tl;iur:in( otVonsos, MlthoiiLih it 
\v;is also somotiiuos onutloyoil loraUomploil osoapos ; 
this was iho " lyin^' clown " slocks. Tho otVoiuiorV 
tool woro taslouoJ aboul iwoho iiiohos tVoin tho 
LiTouuvl, and ho was lot'l to lio dv>wn or sit np, as 
]>loasod him host. It was oortainly no oasy or ilosir- 
blo position, as tiio anlhor had oooasiv>n to know, hnt 
was niuoh prolorablo to iho siandin;;- slooks, or tho 
ball anil ohain. 

Abonl tho 'JOlh ot'.May, tho hospitals of tho prison 
M oro ronio\ od to iho ontsido of tho siookado, an»l lo- 
oatod in a piooo ol' tinibor to tho Sontlioast oi' tho 
main onolosnro, and tho two oonsolidalod into o\\k\ 
whioh inohhlod abv>ul two aoros of huul. It was on- 
olosod by a biKtrd tonoo abont six foot in hiiiht, an as 
laid oni in rogadar sirools, or wards, and sui>pru>d 
with wator tVom a orook that ran throngh tho Sonth- 
Avost oornor, and was nnadnltoratod with tlio tilth and 
garbago, oithor of tho robol oamj^s v>r tho prison pon. 
At iirst tho only oo\ oring was sovoral [>iooos oi' oan- 
vass strotohod ovor }>olos, whioh formod simply a 
IH'otootion against tho snn and rain; bnt at'lowards, 
wodgo tonts woro prvn idoil, and in a tow instaneos, 
bnnks woro plaood in thorn, npini whioh tho sic'kmon 
otudd bo laid. Knrlhor than this, thoro was muhing 
bolwoon tho pationt and tho oarlh, oxoopt his oh>th- 
ing and snoh a rag i>f a blankot as ho might ohanoo 
to possess. 



'V}^itrti want two vAnHnnH (fi' paro)<'.d iiiiiii, wUone 
'IniUtH cjptitit'Miu] iUiitn w'iiU tli<j xick, — i\ut oua wm 
known um " HMr^<<on'M(/l<jrkM," iUnifiUitrun " )i4:iMpii^) 
jttU'.ndjintw," or niu'«c'«. It w»i( thiMluty of th*^ for- 
;n<?r UttiiUtud upon thr^M nvif/ioun at n'u'k-i'/dW, wriUi^ in 
ji l^ook pH'pariid for tin? j/ur|>o«fe, th<# UHmdf cr>mpany^ 
r';tnk^ rii^maui, daisuihtfutni, ilivWtonf dtaf^nonUf and 
p;v',H<'Tif/tJon, Tor '%v;I/ man 'A\t\Aym^ aiiha jiaUt (pHUh 
**«icVcall" i'jutUfnut'i'f for inoAWma or in'/dUutitii ; 
i]t(ty witra a)M<^ t<^./|ujn;'i to put up and dintribut^,' th<j 
\,ntH('yt\Ktd rttmudlitHf Ut iUa nick who w<;r(j ru;i a/lmit' 
!<;'] to tiKi hoM|/it;il. f wan riwAnafnanditd by thij men 
Irorn No. f>riHon in Danvilh;, for the position (fi' nur- 
<^('.ou^H iditrky (for which a^jt of kin/1 remembrance on 
ilttjr j/jtrt, I whal) ever fi^ei grat<jful,) and rtttnovad 
i'nnn the Ktr^ckade, aM above niaUtd, on Uie 2^Hh of 
May. In thin ponitiori I continued t^> aet until the 
'th of Hej>tember followin|^. 

VVh'tfi tlx: \i(,¥.\>\\m\ wan fir^t chtabJiHlied outhide, 
only two Hiit'i^itouH witnt in attendance at the Kick- 
call, }>ut brjfore the Hiimmer wax paMt, twelve a^ldi- 
tional on<;H, with each a clerk, were re^juired, — m rap- 
illy had drntHHd increased amon^ um. It wa^ the 
♦ lui.y of fli^, "HergeantM of JiiviHiorj " within the Ht^ick- 
ade, to report with the ^iek, at the South gate <tv(try 
morning, at eight o'clock, or immediately afU;r roll- 
call. ThoHC of the men who want able Uf walk, 
li 



202 I^OfliTEEJ^ MONTHS 

marched to the enclosure, while the disabled were 
brought upon blankets, old coats, and sometimes, by 
being supported upon the shoulders of two of their 
comrades. The enclosure used for the sick-call, was 
built about the South gate, and contained twelve 
clerk-stands or booths, which were fitted up with 
awnings, and boards for writing upon and depositing 
the medicines. 

The principal diseases treated at the sick-call, were 
scurvy, diarrhea, dysentery, pneumonia, ulcers from 
vaccination, fevers, gangrene, ophthalmia and erysip- 
elas ; a few others Avere sometimes met with, but 
they formed but a small part of the great whole of 
the misery and wretchedness to which the men were 
exposed. To facilitate the treatment for these dis- 
eases, formulas had been prepared, in tabular form, 
and numbered so as to conform to the name of the 
disease, or class of diseases, which they were intend- 
ed to remedy ; thirty of these formulas were used at 
the sick-call. The medicines consisted of Quinine, 
Mercurial Preparations, Cayenne, Chlorate of Potas- 
sa, Acetic and Tartaric Acids, Gum Camphor, Salts, 
Sulphur, Oil and Fly Blister, a few decoctions of in- 
digenous roots and barks and newly distilled Whisky ; 
but for a great part of the time, no medicines of any 
kind were in the dispensary. All our prepared med- 
icines came from Macon ; Quinine and the more val- 



m SOUTHEEN PEISONS. 203 

liable drugs had labels of English manufacture, and 
had run the blockade at Charleston and ^ Savannah. 
Bandages were so difficult to be obtained, that the 
same ones were washed and used, again and again, 
until worn out ; they were made of common, coarse, 
cotton cloth, and were used without lint or cotton, 
and from their repeated application, became unfit for 
use, being liable to infect the wound to which they 
were applied, with virus from the one from which 
they had been removed. 

The patients examined at the sick-call were of two 
classes, — those prescribed for at the clerk's stand, 
and those admitted to the hospital ; tlie former of 
these two classes, was by far the most numerous, on 
account of the lack of accommodations for the latter ; 
those who remained behind, were such as did not re- 
quii*e special care, and those too far advanced in their 
disease to be saved by hospital treatment. The 
number of admissions was limited to the number of 
vacancies ; and these were caused, not by the recov- 
ery and discharge of the patients, — not by the en- 
largement of the hospital, — but by death, which 
silently and swiftly made way for fresh victims ; 
every man knew full well, when he received his ticket, 
admitting him to that living house of death, that the 
grim messenger had removed a comrade, whose place 
he was to occupy, waiting and watching painfully, 



204 FOlTRTEEN MONTHS 

till his turn should come, and another be brought in, 
as he was carried out. 

The prisoners who had not recently been vaccina- 
ted, were compelled, under severe penalties, to undergo 
this operation, the surgeons having been requested, 
it was said, by the United States Government, to do 
this, as a preventive against the small pox. It seem- 
ed strange to us that here, where the instances of 
that disease were so extremely rare, such an order 
should be given ; but the sequel showed the devel- 
ish cunning of the authorities at Andersonville. The 
virus used was impure, and if the inoculation with 
the poison failed, ( as it did in many instances,) of 
carrying off the patient, the wound would not heal, 
under the influence of the heat, starvation and im- 
pure air, and invariably terminated in horrible look- 
ing ulcers. I have said that the virus was impure; 
I judge it to have been so, from its eftects, and not 
from a chemical anslysis of it ; but there were cases 
of inoculation which had been made at Danville, 
three months previous to our removal to Camj) Sum- 
ter, that took the same form, as every case assumed, 
after our incarceration there. The worst cases at 
Andersonville were caused by the vaccination ; the 
ravages of the scurvy, it is true, were fearful, and it 
worked in slight scratches and open sores, caused 
by the bites of insects; but in none of these did it as- 



IN SOUTIIEKN PRISONS. 205 

sume the horrible form that characterized the inocu- 
lated wounds ; and the only inference that can be 
drawn from this fact, is that our prisoners were de- 
liberately poisoned by vaccination. 

The scenes at the sick-call were horrible beyond 
description, yet I will attempt to paint the dreadful 
picture as clearly as it is j^ossible with words, for here 
and^t the hospital, can alone be witnessed the true 
result of the privations and cruelties to which we 
were subjected. It must be remembered that diseases 
here are not of the ordinary form, such as may be 
seen at any hospital in the vicinity of a poj^ulous city, 
nor are they the result of voluntary excesses on the 
part of the patient ; but they are such as were forced 
upon strong, able-bodied men, with robust health, 
made more robust by the regimen of long military 
service in the field, and fortified by the hardships of 
•suchalife, against disease in every form; upon men, 
in whose blood no disease had ever lurked, but who, 
from childhood until now, had been strong and heal- 
thy. And it must also be borne in mind that these 
diseases did not come suddenly upon us ; but that 
they were the results of a slow process, that crept 
quietly, but certainly on, beginning with insignif- 
icant signs and ending in death, or, what is worse, in 
permanent and incurable disease, that must folloAv 
the victim as long as life lasts, — an unremitting source 
of pain and misery. 



200 FOUETEEN MONTHS 

When the surgeons and their clerks have taken 
their phices within the sick-call enclosure, the gate in 
tlieir rear is closed, and the wicket in the great gate 
opened for the admission of the patients. My " stand" 
was situated near this wicket, and one half the sick 
passed it on their way to their surgeon for examina- 
tion. Each surgeon had charge of a certain number 
of detachments, the numbers designating which, were 
painted upon a board, and hung conspicuously over 
the clerk's stand ; by means of this guide, any man 
could readily find the surgeon to whom he must 
apply to be examined; and severe punishment was 
inflicted upon any clerk who issued medicine to a 
sick man that had not submitted to this examination. 
From my position, I could see the men as they came 
into the enclosure, and trace the line far back into 
the stockade itself. There on the road running nearly 
across the area, the wretched invalids had gathered, 
in a dense crowd ; some were standing, or leaning 
faint, emaciated and weak, upon their stronger com- 
rades ; others were lying down upon the bare ground, 
and over all, there hovered a hideous specter of death, 
which was reflected in their squalid forms, nj^on their ^ 
thin, pale faces, and in their large, hollow eyes, that 
stared glassily upon us. The earth was black with 
human beings, a living, writhing mass of famishing, 
agonizing life. Three thousand men, daily visited 



IN SOUTIIEllN rillSONS. 207 

the HiirgcoiiK for reinctlics, at tbi-s place, — besides 
tliose to wliom medicine was administered witliotit a 
daily examination. On my own book, there were at 
one time nine hundred and forty-five names of sick 
men, under treatment, by one surgeon ; taking tliis as 
a basis, the fourteen clerks would have in charge, 
13,230 patients ; and these were exclusive of the men 
wh» refused to rejiort at sick-call, and those who 
were confined in the hosj^ital, the latter numbering 
about two thousand men. At this time, it is believed 
that there were not five thousand well men amonjr 
the thirty-two thousand confined in the stockade. 
Those who had been longest in the stockade, and 
those who had come among us in a destitute con- 
dition, were the earliest and greatest sufferers. It 
required time, even in that den of filth aud disease, 
and upon the scanty allowance given us, to break 
down the strong constitutional health of those men ; 
but time did effect it, though some struggled long and 
bravely for life. 

The detachments were called in regular order, each 
surgeon beginning with the lowest number on his 
list, and proceeding to the highest. The surgeon 
upon whom I attended, had charge of thirteen de- 
tachments ; tliis would give him, if each division were 
full, 3,510 men, over whose health he was called upon 
to preside ; but the divisions were not full, many of 



-08 FOUKTEEN MONTHS 

tlioiu luiviug bocoiuo rcnlucoil more than one half 
since they iirst ontercil tlio pen. Each applicant was 
sc]>ni*ately jirosontod, his name, ttc, cnlcrod by the 
clerk, the date of his examination ami the diagnosis 
of his disease, and the formula or formulas applicable 
to liis ease, carefully noted, wlien he was turned back 
into the stockade to Avait till three o'clock, before his 
medicine was served out to him. 

Let us take tlie list, as it stands upon my notes, for 
one day's duty, (and it shall be a fair sami)le of any 
day during the months of »luly and August, and tlie 
first eight days of SejUember, ) imd read the ills that 
prisoners at Audersouville are heir to. The first man 
in the iile before us, is called, and after being duly 
enrolled, begins to renu^\e the (ilthy rags that he has 
bound around his arm, disclosing a sickening sight. 
It is a case of vaccination ; the impure virus has 
wrought its terrible design, and here is the result. 
Tlie incision has become infected witli gangrene, and 
the upper arm is one mass ot^ jMitrid flesh, Avhich 
hangs in lumps in the running sore ; it is but slightly 
swollen, and where the flesh is not entirely gone, 
jn-esents a h'ery red appearance; tbe arm is nearly 
eaten in two, and unless the progressof the gangrene 
is stopped at once, the main artery will be severed, 
and death ensue from loss of blood. A nauseathig 
stench arises as the bandai2:e is taken olf, and this 



IH H(n:inLiiS I'liiHOSH. 200 

llic, man uiukI carry witlj hij/j till <i<;alJi cJosch the 
HcoiK;; for tliou;;}] ho in Hcrit at onc(i to tlie wouud- 
'lr(iHHcr, and IjIm arm ih vvaHhcd with Kitric Acid, tho 
dincaKC Ih too i'nr advancf;d to ]>(: car(^d, and only 
ti^niporary relief can Ijc afforded lji/n. Kigbteeri Kirn- 
ilar caKCH follow, hojjio of* tljfjni in a UiHH advanced 
Htag(;, Konie evcrj woi'h<; tlian tljin; all tlic caH<;B oi' 
ulcitmjiiH vaccination UKually r(;]>ort firKt in the morn- 
ing. 

Next follow th(; [>atientH aiJliijted with gangrene; 
of tli(!He ther<; arr^ a great nunilx-r, for the cliaractcr 
of tli(; food, the expoKiin; to )-ains an<l Hun, with tlie 
|*oi;-onouH air they eonntantly hreatlu-, r(;ndf'r the 
})loo<l impure, ;itid thr; HliglitcHt abrasion of the Hkin, 
Hoon heeomeH a putrid Hore. A d(!Kcription of one of 
thcHe caHCK will anHwer for all, I'oi- i'^-w of them (;ver 
reej'ived any att(mtion until tin y woa'u ho far advanced 
aH to obtain but little, benefit from medicine. I'hiH in 
gangrr!ne ; the patient ho]>bh;K }>ainfiilly to the stand, 
KU|)j)OJ*ted by a cruteli which he liaK in Home way pro- 
cui'ed, remov<*H tin; foul Hhi-edn of woolen clotli that 
are, bound ai'ound bin lell fool,, and discovern the 
wound, TIm; eoiTUj)t('.d llehli ban fallen from the 
borM'S, an<J iJie woi'itiK ai'e, crawling and tund>ling 
riolouKly among the naked eoi'dH and ligarnentH, wan- 
tonly holding a ]»r<imaturc feast iij)on tlx-ir unbmied 
food, 'ferrible an this may appear, — it may be called 



210 rOUETEEN MONTHS 

impossible — it is the triitli, and a hundred cases 
equally awful, were to be witnessed daily at the sick- 
call and in the hospital. This man had become so 
weakened in his intellect byexjDOSure and starvation, 
that he was unable to take proper care of himself ; to 
protect his naked feet from the blistering sun and the 
insects, he had torn off the sleeve of his coat and 
wrapped it around them ; gangrene had found a 
scratch, and this was the result. The gangrene was 
a most fearful enemy, searching every pore of the 
skin for a wound, however slight or insignificant, 
where it fastened itself remorselessly and clung with 
a tenacity whose grasp could not be loosened. Some- 
times where the incision in which the vaccine had 
been placed, had apparently healed, it would break 
out afresh, and the gangrene would find it out and 
commence its revels ; sometimes, kernels under the 
arm, would swell and require the use of the lancet ; 
a wound was thus made, in which the monster poison 
reveled, till death cut short its career. And these 
infected men w^ere turned back into the crowded 
prison, to communicate their infection to others, until 
nearly all the wretched inmates were decaying, rot- 
ting, dropping piecemeal, into the grave. 

The scurvy is another and most frequent disease, 
and like the gangrene, can receive only temporary 
relief here. It generally makes its first appearance 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 211 

in the mouth, the gums becoming spongy, frequently 
bleeding, and the teeth loosened ; the breath becomes 
fetid ; the patient is pale and languid, and the flesh 
swollen and livid in sjiots. It is caused by confine- 
ment to a limited range of food for a long time, and 
usually terminates in a dropsy, when the cords are 
drawn up, and the limbs become contorted and use- 
less ;«• the body swells to twice its natural size, the 
skin pufling out, as if distended with air ; the flesh 
loses its elasticity, and being pressed upon by the 
linger, retains the indentation for a long time. Some- 
times the skin bursts open, when a wound is formed 
and gangrene, Avith its auxiliary worms, and torment- 
ing vermin and insects, brings a horrible aid, and 
they, working in conjunction, soon destroy the vic- 
tim. Nearly one half the number of patients exam- 
ined daily, were afflicted with this fearful scourge, 
very few of whom recovered, some of them lingering 
for Aveeks before the fatal termination of the disease. 
The patients exhibit a hideous spectacle, with their 
long, matted hair, their glaring eyes, in whose hol- 
low depths the unappeasable craving for food is un- 
mistakably read ; their faces and hands, and naked 
feet covered with dirt and filth ; their foul rags hanging 
in tatters over their limbs and theirbodies, and swarm- 
ing with vermin ; yet this sj^ectacle was daily wit- 
nessed at the sick-call, was fully known and under- 



212 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

stood by the prison antliorities, and nothing was done 
for our relief, no additional care bestowed upon us, 
no look of pity or sympathy from them ever met our 
eyes. 

But these were not the only diseases to which we 
Avere exposed ; Death busily plied his relentless work, 
in other, and if possible, more painful forms. Diarrhea 
and dysentery, gaunt and grim, attacked the destined 
victim, and in a few days his strength waned, till the 
strong man was weak as childhood ; his skin became 
livid, and clung tightly to the bones from which the 
flesh had wasted away ; his eyes sank back deep 
beneath his forehead, and were dull and expression- 
less ; and his thin lips were blue and trembling as if 
with cold. Eighty-seven names of men afflicted with 
these diseases, are on my list, for this day's work. 
Yet what can be done for these men here ? They 
cannot be admitted to the hospital, for there is no 
room, and if there were room, it would be useless to 
send them there, as we shall presently see ; we have 
no medicines that can counteract the inlluence of 
their scanty food, mixed, as it is, with dirt, and de- 
cayed till a dog would refuse to eat it ; and in this 
climate, with its hot days and cool, damp nights, the 
naked earth to sleep upon, and the poisoned air to 
breathe, are swift auxiliaries to these diseases. The 
patients must inevitably die ; some of them may live 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 213 

'<i few weeks longer ; but in ten days at farthest, 
eighty of those eighty-seven men, will lie beneath the 
turf in yonder Golgotha, beyond the reacli of the 
atrocious tortures that have made their last days a 
hell. 

In the month of June, there Avere twenty-two days 
of rain, and the sky was not clear of clouds for one 
moment, during all that dreary period. At times, the 
Heavens opened and poured floods of water down 
upon us ; then the sun forced its way through a rift 
of clouds and for a few minutes, scorched us with his 
flames, when his fire was extinguished by another 
torrent. The men were drenched in their oj^en pen 
during the day, and at night they lay down still 
drenched, to sleep upon beds of sand which were sat- 
urated with water. When the long rain ceased at 
last, the hot sun burst out upon them, raising deadly 
vapors from the swamps, which they breathed, and 
scorching and parching them with fire ; the thermom- 
eter stood at 104° in the shade, and in the open 
ground the heat was terrific. In consequence of this 
storm, malignant fevers broke out among the pris- 
oners, and for a long time after, they raged with fear 
ful violence. Pneumonia prevailed to a very great 
extent, and hundreds fell victims to its ravages. 
These cases continued for many weeks, and we find 
their diagnosis upon every clerk's list, during the 



214 FOtTETEEN MONTHS 

montlis of July and August. Erysipelas also apj)eared, 
but its career was soon run, for tlie unhappy patient 
died in a few days, unless the little wash of Iodine, 
which was applied to the infected spot, succeeded in 
checking it at once. The glaring sun had smitten 
men with blindness, and they groped tjieir way 
darkly, among their comrades. Yet in all this mis- 
ery, squalor and filth, there was not a ray of hope ; 
the men must suffer on without succor, and without 
help ; the weary days seemed months, and the weeks 
an eternity, till it was as if we had been removed to 
a land of fiends, which the omnipresence of God 
could not reach, and a Demon more merciless, more 
relentless than the Prince of Hell, ruled over us. 

From eight o'clock till two, the work of examining 
the sick continued. Day after day, for weeks and 
months, those surgeons labored, breathing the un- 
wholesome air, and in constant contact with those 
horrible diseases ; but they were patient, faithful, 
men, and their sympathy with the victims often bene- 
fitted them, as much as the medicines they prescrib- 
ed. But they acted under the orders of Gen. Win- 
der, and Capt. Wirz, and could do little beyond secret- 
ly expressing theii' abhorrence of the barbarity, with 
which we were treated, and their wish to alleviate 
our sufferings. I gladly record the little acts of 
kindness performed by them, for they were verdant 



i^q- souther:n" peisons. 215 

.spots in that vast Saliara at misery. Drs. Watkins, 
Rowzie,Tliornburii, Reeves, Williams, James, Thomp- 
son, Pilott and Sanders deserve, and will receive, 
the lasting gratitude of the prisoners who received 
medical treatment at their hands, during that memor- 
able summer, at Andersonville. These, with live 
others, whose names need not be mentioned, were 
connected with the sick-call, and are to be distin- 
guished from the hospital surgeons, the latter being 
exclusively engaged within the hospital enclosure. 

After the examination at the sick-call, the clerks 
repaired to the dispensary, which was under the con- 
trol of Chief Surgeon, R. H. White, to put up the 
prescriptions, made by the surgeons ; this process 
required about an hour's time, and when it was com- 
pleted, they returned to the sick-call stand, Avith the 
remedies, to distribute them to those for whom they 
were prescribed. The medicines were issued both 
in powder and in liquid form ; the former were en- 
closed in papers, but the latter, — the dispensary fur- 
nishing no bottles — were poured into tin and wooden 
cups, or Avhatever else the invalid possessed. It of- 
ten happened that strong sulphuric or nitric acid, 
was the medicine prescribed, and this was received 
in the same utensil as was employed in cooking their 
food. It is left to the reader to judge what the result 
might well be. Their work done, the clerks were at 



216 FO^LTRTEEN MONTHS 

liberty, till six o'clock, at which time, they were re- 
quired to report at the hospital, where they remained 
under guard, till the following morning. Much of 
the time the dispensary was without medicines, and 
very often only a few of the remedies prescribed 
were to be had there. Yet the farce of examination 
was frequently gone through with and prescriptions 
made, even when it was known beforehand, that 
there Avas nothing in the dispensary, with which to 
put them uj). Whether the fault lies at the door of 
the Chief Surgeon, or Capt. Wirz, or of the Confed- 
erate surgeons at Richmond, is not known. Probably 
Capt. Wu'z is not to be blamed in this matter, for he 
could not increase his gains by keeping back the 
medicines. There were many times, also, when 
there was no sick-call, for several days in succession ; 
and sometimes after the examinations had commenc- 
ed, the Captain came down from his headquarters, 
ordered surgeons and clerks away, and sent the sick 
men back into the stockade. The reasons for these 
interruptions, were various ; sometimes a new lot of 
victims had arrived, and were to be admitted to the 
prison ; — a thing easily done to be sure without dis- 
turbing us, by opening the Korth gate; but the Cap- 
tain in such a case would have failed to exhibit his 
martial bearing, at the head of his Georgia Militia, 
and the whole prison must bo collected to witness 



m SOUTHERN PEISONS. 217 

the warlike spectacle ; sometimes rumors of an ex- 
tensive outbreak had exercised his mind, and he must 
get his men in line of battle, a long tedious under- 
taking, (there being no fences against which they 
could be dressed) in performing which the doughty 
warrior expended much patience and many oaths; 
sometimes, again, the pen must be searched for tun- 
nels or for missing men ; and on all occasions of like 
public character, the sick must be neglected ; perhaps 
the villain feared the Confederate medicines might 
be of benefit to the Yankees, if regularly administer- 
ed, a consummation most undesirable, both to Win- 
der and Wirz. 

The number of men admitted to the hospital by 
each surgeon, never exceeded eight at one time, but 
the usual number was three. On one occasion, how- 
ever, soon after the enlargement of the hospital, Capt. 
Wirz issued an order that all sick men, who were 
brought to the sick-call, upon blankets, should be 
admitted ; acting under this order (the surgeon whom 
I attended being absent) I issued eighty tickets of 
admission — by far the largest number ever issued in 
one day. The Captain was exceedingly angry with 
me for doing this, and cursed me roundly for it ; but 
I pointed him to the order and continued about my 
business ; none of the men were sent back into the 
stockade, but the order was speedily revoked. 
15 



218 FOUETEEX MONTHS 

Every person to gain admittance to the hospital 
grounds, was provided with a ticket, signed by the 
surgeon who examined him. This ticket contained 
the name, rank, company and regiment, of the patient 
together with the name of his disease, and was nec- 
essary in order that in case the man died, as frequent- 
ly happened, before reaching the hospital, his name 
might be jiroperly registered in a book kept for that 
purj^ose. When he reached the hospital he was laid 
upon the ground, near the gate, and inside the en- 
closure, where he remained till the hospital attend- 
ants had sufficient unoccupied time, to place him 
beneath the shelter of a tent; sometimes he was com- 
pelled to lie in the 02:)en air till sundown, and some- 
times he was not moved till the next morning ; many 
died at the gate while waiting to be placed in the 
tent. If he survived long enough, he was taken up 
by the nurses, carried to a vacant spot in the hosj^i- 
tal, and deposited uj^on the bare ground, to remain 
until death should make his place also, vacant. 

The hospital enclosure was laid out in streets, (see 
engraving) and the tents were pitched in rows or 
blocks, to facilitate communication with the patients ; 
the tents were of the wedge form, arranged so as to 
face due North, and were open at both ends ; the 
center pole was about five feet high, and the canvass 
sloped quite to the earth, forming the sides of the 



IX SOUTHERN PRISONS. 219 

shelter; five men were usually placed in each tent. 
There were, besides the " regular " tents, a few cov- 
erings made of canvass, stretched over j^oles ; 
these were more open than the " wedges " and were 
larger and more convenient ; a few wall tents were 
also to be found, but they were mostly used for stor- 
ing the medicines. There was nothing on the ground 
for J;lie sick to lie upon, and their feverish forms, with 
no covering except the wretched rags they chanced 
to wear, were deposited upon the naked earth. About 
2,000 sick were constantly in the hospital ; some of 
the patients remained there for a long time, but the 
majority were speedily released by death. 

The diseases treated at the hospital, were similar 
to those already described, while we were speaking 
of the sick-call, the only difference being that they 
were generally at a more advanced stage, and that 
there were a great number collected in a small area. 
For convenience in visiting the sick, the surgeons 
had divided the hospital into wards ; in each of which 
was a ward-master, with a company of nurses. The 
internal regulations for performing duty, were simil- 
ar to those of the United States Military Hospitals. 
Each of the surgeons had charge of two or more of 
the wards, which they visited daily, passing around 
among the men and hurrying through with their 
disagreeable duty, as rapidly as possible. There 



220 FOUKTEEN MONTHS 

were generally six, iind sometimes seven physicians 
in attendance, and dividing the sick equally among 
them, would give nearly 300 to each. With so many 
to visit daily, and with so few conveniences for sup- 
plying their demands, these men could do very little 
good. The invalids did not want the surgeon's skill ; 
food was the only medicine that could afford any 
relief, and the surgeons could not furnish that. 

The rations for the hospital were prepared by pa- 
roled prisoners, and did not differ materially, either 
in kind, quantity or mode of cooking, from those 
issued to the prisoners in the stockade. Occasional- 
ly, however, a few vegetables found their way to 
Andersonville, but their quantity was too small to 
effect much good ; these, together with the liquor, in 
which the meat had been boiled, were made into a 
soup, — a kind of food which the men afflicted with 
bowel complaints, could not eat with safety, and such 
as no well man would taste at home. 

The sick who 'were afflicted with gangrene were 
generally separated from the others, and filled two 
wards of the. -hospital. These wards presented a 
most horrible 'spectacle. I have passed through them 
in the cool of the morning, and in the heat of the 
ray, wiien the purer air of the one had caused an 
abatement of the corroding distemper, and when the 

sultriness of the;, other had spurred it into a swifter 

• *-■ 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 221 

career; and I have ficen living men lying there, upon 
the bare ground, uncovered by anything except the 
filthiest rags, which were saturated with purulent 
matter, and green with mould, rotting silently away, 
though tortured with intense pain, the dead flesh 
dropping from their bones, on the sand upon which 
they were lying ; while hideous worms, too greedy 
to wait till life was extinct, before commencing their 
ravenous feast, tumbled and reveled and rioted in 
the putrid mass. I have visited the field of battle, and 
walked among the dead, many days after the conflict, 
and witnessed the unburied bodies of men, thrown to- 
gether in heaps by a bursting shell, slowly decaying 
in the hot sun, but the stench arising from them, and 
their horrid appearance, were less sickening and less 
rejiulsive than this. I have seen men in this hospi- 
tal sufler amputation again and again, in a fruitless 
efibrt to stay the ravages of this fearful disease ; and 
under the knife, and while lying uj^on the ground, 
blistering and burning, the ceaseless gnawing within 
forced from their otherwise silent lips, the low, moan- 
ing, pleading cry for food ; and I have listened to 
this heart-rending call, and looked upon those ema- 
ciated limbs, till my blood boiled with helpless rage 
against the worse than brutal villains who planned 
these atrocious crimes, and the coward wlio delighted 
in carrying out their dotailSf 



222 FOUKTEEN MONTHS 

No language can describe tliis bed of rottenness ; 
since the tongue of man first learned to syllable his 
thoughts, such cruelties Avcre never before devised 
and practised, — and words are wanting to depict 
them. The surgeons made their reports, in which 
were represented the true condition of these dying 
men, and begged for reform, for food, for covering ; 
but they might as well have sought mercy from 
death, — better have done so, for death is merciful, 
sometimes, but our tormentors, never. 

The gangrene wards were the worst in the hospi- 
tal, but the others were shocking. Famine ! famine 
is everywhere. Pass among the fevers; hear the 
dying moans of the victims of diarrhea, of dysentery ; 
listen to the hollow cough of the pneumoniae ; look 
upon the trembling limbs and pallid faces of all these 
men, and the burden of every cry, as it goes out into 
the solitudes around us, is food ! a morsel of food ! 
And we hear that fearful cry, growing fainter and 
fainter, as the famished victim sinks down into the 
darkness; and the feeble echo vanishes, as the turbid 
waves of death close over him, forever. 

There was anion q; the surojeons who attended in 
the hospital, a Dr. Burrows, who belonged to ^ Mas- 
sachusetts regiment; he had been captured and sent 
here, early in the season, and was paroled to act in 
the capacity of surgeon. He was a kind-hearted and 



IN SOUTHEllN ntlSONS. 223 

Kkillful physician, and devoted his time to the sick 
under his care, with tireless industry and patience. 
Yet he could do little to alleviate their sufferings, in 
the condition in which they were placed. He attempt- 
ed to procure men from the stockade, to go with him, 
under guard, to cut timber in the adjacent woods, 
with which to build cabins for the hospital, pledging 
himsijlffor their return; but Captain Wirz denied 
him the request, and the cabins were never built; 
could he have succeeded in his attempt to erect these 
huts, he would have vastly reduced the suffering and 
wretchedness of the inmates of the hospital. His well- 
meant endeavors were fully apj^reciated by the suf- 
fci-ers, and the survivors will hold him in lasting 
gratitude. 

The men were deeply grateful for the smallest 
favors shown them, and their thanks to those who did 
even the slightest thing in their behalf, were such as 
would draw tears even from the eyes of a stoic. On 
one occasion, I saw a man lying upon his back, almost 
in the last agony ; his eyes were rolling fearfully in 
liis head, and he seemed utterly unconscious. Going 
to the steward, I procured a little whisky and gave 
him ; it seemed to bring him back from the grave, 
and he feebly took my hand and poured out his 
thanks so profusely and so fervently, that ( I must con- 
fess to a woman's weakness ), tears came to my eyes. 



224 FCTURTEEN MONTHS 

Cheerful conversation upon every subject, but more 
especially upon exchange, liad an almost wonderful 
effect upon the men ; the poor fellows would some- 
times catch a gleam of hope from them, which would 
brighten them for days. But there was little oppor- 
tunity for the nurses in the hospital to engage in con- 
versation with them, and they were left to their own 
thoughts mostly, which were of a gloomy, hopeless 
cast. 

A Catholic Priest visited the hospital almost daily, 
and ministered freely and faithfully to the wants of 
the dying. I am sorry to be unable to state his name, 
for he was the only clergyman, as far as I remember, 
that ever visited us. He was a noble man, a hero, — 
for by coming here, he exposed himself to great dan- 
ger of infection with the diseases. He seemed actu- 
ated by the holiest motives, kneeling down by the 
side of the decaying bodies of living men, in the 
stench and filth of the gangrene wards, and inter- 
ceding with Heaven for that mercy to the sufferers, 
which they could not obtain on earth. Many and 
many a time have I seen him thus praying with the 
dying, consoling alike the Protestant and the believ- 
ers in his own peculiar faith. His services were more 
than welcome to many, and were sought by all; for 
iw his kind and sympathizing looks^ his meek, bu^ 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 225 

earnest appearance, the despairing prisoners read 
that all humanity had not forsaken mankind. 

A number of small boys had been captured by the 
rebels at various places and brought to Anderson- 
ville; some of them had been drummer boys in the 
army, but many were mere hangers-on of camj). 
Among them was a little bright-eyed fellow, who went 
by tl^p name of "Mike;" he was the Johnny Clem of 
Andersonville, and performed many exploits that 
would render a much older person famous. Being 
very active, shrewd and self-possessed, he soon be- 
came the pet of the men at the hospital, where he, 
with the other little boys, was allowed to remain ; 
the prisoners sewed a Sergeant's chevron upon his 
little blouse, and Capt. Wirz told him that he was 
henceforth to be considered responsible for the good 
conduct and faithful " attendance" of the boys in the 
hospital. When the blackberries were ripe, Mike, 
having gained permission of the Chief Surgeon, mar- 
shaled his squad of boys into the fields, to gather 
them for the sick. He was generally quite success- 
ful, and the cool, luscious fruit was more highly prized 
by the grateful men, for the hand that gave it to 
them. One night Mike did not return to the hospi- 
tal, and being sought for, was found at the butchers' 
quarters ; for which act of disobedience to orders, 
Capt, WlYZ commanded him to be returned to th§ 



226 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

stockade. He had not remained there long, how- 
ever, before Capt. Wh'z allowed hmi his liberty again. 
He belonged to the 2nd New Jersey Cavalry ; what 
disposition was subsequently made of him, I never 
learned. 

Among the prisoners at the liospital, was a crazy 
soldier named Jones. This man had become insane 
through long exposure to the sun, aided by famine, 
and was at times a source of great annoyance to the 
sick. His insanity took an immoral form, and he was 
constantly stealing articles of food or apparel. One 
of his ti'icks was to pilfer the wood Avhich the sur- 
geons' clerks had 2:athered for cookiuix, and to make 
a bonfire of it, warming himself Avith the greatest 
enjoyment, even Avhen the day was excessively hot. 
He had, also, a decided "proclivity'' for washing 
himself and his clothes, performing the o]>ovation at 
all hours of the day and night. So great was his 
penchant for washing, that he frequently picked up 
old worn-out coats and pieces of j^ants, and carrying 
them to the little creek, cleansed them with as much 
perseverance and gusto, as a professional laundress. 
He considered his comrades as an inferior class of 
beings, whose habits and tastes led them to remain 
in their filth, while he being a gentleman, must keep 
clean or lose his rightful superiority and dignity. To 
this end, he often took off his coat and washed it 



IN SOUTHERN PKISONS. 227 

thoroughly, putting it on while still dripping, and 
strutting around among the prisoners with his head 
erect, like a Broadway dandy. He would sometimes 
beat the weak prisoners unmercifully, for which 
offence, the Chief of Police tied his hands behind 
him, Jones, meanwhile, grating his teeth and cursing 
fearfully. Ilis pranks were generally of a harmless 
charaoiier, and the volubility with which he talked of 
his imj^ortance as a member of society, and the fear- 
ful retribution in store for the rebels, through his 
means, served to amuse the sick and to divert their 
thoughts from a contemplation of their own misery; 
and in this manner the poor fellow unwittingly did 
much good. lie died, however, some time in the 
early part of August. 

The guard posted about the liospital, either alcting 
under orders, or from some other motive, were very 
reckless in the performance of their duty. They 
frequently discharged their muskets into the hospital 
ground, and performed other acts of violence, wholly 
uncalled for. One night, a sick man, feeling chilly 
upon his cold, earthy bed, arose and crawled to a fire 
which was burning in the enclosure. A sentinel saw 
him sitting before it, drew up his piece and dis- 
charged it. The ball passed through a crevice be- 
tween the boards of the fence and hit the man, break- 
ing his arm and splintering the bone of his leg. Dr. 



228 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

Burrows immediately came out of his quarters, and 
dressed the wounds, but the unfortunate victim never 
recovered. There was not the slightest occasion for 
this murder ; the invalid was on the ground assigned 
to all the inmates of the hospital, he was quietly sit- 
ting by the fire which it was customery to light every 
evening, with no thought of wrong in doing so ; the 
sentinel could see him only by looking between the 
boards of the fence, which was six feet high; he gave 
no word of warning, but after the victim had seated 
himself, fired upon him in cold blood, as if he had 
been a dog. It was murder, as much so, as if the 
man had been sleeping peacefully in his bed ; yet the 
assassin was never called to account for it, although 
Capt. AYirz knew the full particulars of the afi'air, and 
by virtue of his ofiice, could, and should have pun- 
ished him severely, as an example to others. 

The dead-house was located in the Southwest cor- 
ner of the hospital enclosure; it was formed by set- 
ting four posts in the ground, upon which boards 
were nailed to the hight of six feet. A piece of can- 
vass was stretched over it, for a roof, and an open- 
ing left on the west side, which served the purpose 
of an entrance. To this contrivance all the dead were 
removed during the day, both from the hospital and 
the stockade. The manner in which these remains 
were treated, under the direction of Captain Wirz, 



m SOlJTHERJi- PRISONS. 220 

will illustrate the value placed upon the life of a 
Yankee prisoner, by him ; for the respect in which 
the living are held, even among savage nations, is 
oftenest known by the treatment of their remains, af- 
ter the spark of life has been extinguished. 

In the early morning, the dead of the preceding 
day and night, were gathered up, under the direc- 
tions Of the sergeants of divisions, and deposited in 
irregular lines, on the road leading from the South 
gate, and near the dead line. When the gate was 
opened, (which was at eight o'clock) they v/ere taken 
up, one by one, placed upon a hand-stretcher and 
carried out to the dead-house. At these times there 
was always a large crowd of men gathered around 
the dead, eagerly and clamorously asserting their 
right to carry the bodies out. Those admitted to this 
ghastly privilege, were allowed, on their return, to 
collect a few sticks of wood, which lay upon the 
ground between the stockade and the hospital. The 
wood was ahnost priceless to them, for a small hand- 
ful, such as they could pick up, readily sold for five 
dollars, and with this money they could purchase 
fifteen Andersonville rations, paying even the exhor- 
bitant prices demanded for food. Sometimes the 
poor men, in their anxiety to get outside the stockade 
in this manner, quarreled and fought, claiming prior- 
ity of right, in performance of the melancholy office* 



230 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

In the latter part of August or the early part of Sep- 
tember, the number of the dead increased so rapidly, 
that it was found impracticable to take the bodies 
from the stockade to the dead-house ; and they were 
placed in rows, under an awning of pine boughs, 
just outside the defences and near the road to the 
cemetery; here they remained in the hot sun, or the 
storms, until their turn came for burial. 

Tlie men who died in the hospital, were carried 
out by the nurses of the ward to which they belonged, 
and placed in the street in front of the tents, when- 
ever,- at any time of the day or night, they were 
found, whether in the melting heat or the drenching 
rain. Here the bodies remained until the two men 
who were appointed for the ^^urpose, came around 
with a hand-stretcher and carried them to the dead- 
house. 

In the stockade, the dead were found in a great 
variety of places ; sometimes they were lying beneath 
their rude tents, with their comrades, the time of 
their depature being unknown, even to him by whose 
side they were lying ; sometimes they had crawled 
into a hole in the earth, which had been excavated 
for shelter, and where they remained unknown, till the 
stench arising from their decay, or the search at the 
roll-call revealed them; sometimes they had dragged 
themselves to the swamp, to quench, by a draught of 

■ i 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 2^1 

water, the Ininiing thirst tliat consumed tliem, and 
died with tlie effort; sometimes unahle longer to en- 
dui'e tlieir niisery and pain, tliey tln-ew tliemselves 
beyond the dead-line and were shot by the guard. In 
the liospital the dead and the living lay side by side 
until the nurse discovered them ; and it was not infre- 
quent that hours passed, before the living and the 
dead were separated. I have known three men in 
the same tent to bid each other good night ; and the 
morrow's sun to waken the third to lind his comrades 
iijion his right and left, sleeping forever. The pris- 
oners at Anderson ville died without a struggle, and 
apparently without pain ; they expired so quietly, 
that one standing beside and watching them, could 
not distinguish when the last breath was drawn ; 
they were so wasted by disease and famine, that the 
si)irit parted from its earthly tenement, as quietly as 
tlie flame expires among the embers. 

The dead-house had been constructed of insuffic- 
ient dimensions to contain the bodies of all that died; 
sometimes forty, often thirty, were placed upon the 
ground outside its limits, where they lay in the open 
ail-, with some vain attempt at familiarity in their ar- 
rangement. Within and around this place, the final 
results of our treatment were to be seen ; here, in- 
deed were the fruits of the " natural agencies," which 
were to do the work " faster than the bullet." — I have 



232 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

said that the attempt to place the bodies in regular 
lines, was vain ; it became so, because of the contor- 
ted forms of the deceased, particularly of those who 
died from the effects of scurvy. In these the cords 
had became affected, and by their contraction had 
drawn up the limbs, into every hideous shape ; the 
flesh was livid and swollen, even to bursting, in many 
places ; large open sores — pools of corruption — were 
upon their bodies and the vermin swarmed in the 
rags that covered them. The victims of gangrene 
presented a sickening sight; the flesh was eaten from 
their cheeks, exposing the teeth and bones, and upon 
their faces sat a skeleton grin, horrible to behold. 
There was also the meager frame-work of men wast- 
ed away by diarrhea and fever, and the pallid lips of 
the consumptive. And the dead lay there upon the 
bare ground, clad in the filthy rags in which they 
died, covered with filth and dirt and parasites, their 
sallow faces upturned to heaven, their lustreless eyes 
fixed, large, staring and hollow, and their jaws drop- 
ped wide apart ; their naked feet pinched with lean- 
ness, and dark with smoke and grime, and their fin- 
gers, fleshless and bony and black beneath the nails, 
lightly clenched as they had faintly struggled in the 
last agony. Pinned upon the breast of each was a 
white label which contained the number of the de- 
ceased. 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 233 

Nor were the numbers of the dead few and occa- 
sional ; during the month of August 2,990 bodies were 
deposited in the dead-house previous to burial, — an 
average of more than 96 per day, — exceeding by 
1,000 the largest brigade engaged in the battle of 
Stone River, and being nearly seven-eighths as many 
as the entire Division of Brig. Gen. Van Cleve, in 
that famous engagement. But during the latter part 
of the month, the mortality was much greater than at 
the first, the number of dead being 100, 110, 120, 
125, 140 per day. 

In the early morning the dead-cart came for the 
bodies ; this was an army wagon, without covering, 
drawn by four mules, and driven by a slave. The 
bodies were tossed into the cart without regard to 
regularity or decency, being thrown upon one anoth- 
er, as logs or sticks are packed in a pile. In this 
manner, with their arms and legs hanging over the 
sides, and their heads jostling and beating against 
each other, as the sable driver, whistling a merry 
strain, hauled them to the grave, hurrying rapidly 
over roots and stumps, the Federal prisoners were 
carried out to the burial. 

The cemetery was located Northwest of the stock- 
ade and nearly a mile from the hospital, upon a beau- 
tiful open spot, surrounded by the forest of pines, and 
slightly sloping toward the Northeast. The dead 
16 



324 rOtJRTEEN MONTHS 

were buried by a squad of paroled prisoners, selected 
for this purpose ; a trench, running due North and 
South, was dug about four feet in depth, six feet 
wide, and of sufficient length to contain the bodies 
for the day. In this, the bodies were placed side by 
side with their faces to the East, and the earth thrown 
in ujDon them. A little mound, a foot in hight, was 
raised over each body ; a stake, branded with the 
number on the label, placed at the head of each, and 
without a prayer said over the dead, without a tear 
from the strangers that performed the last rite, the 
ceremony was ended. The number upon the stake 
referred to a register, kept in the office of the Chief 
'Surgeon, by a Mr. — Atwater, a paroled prisoner, in 
which were the number, name, rank, company, regi- 
ment, (when these were known,) date of death, and 
name of disease. This register was kept with great 
care, and if it is still in existence, will correctly refer 
the inquiring friend to the spot where the loved one 
lies. But some of those who died in the stockade, 
expired without revealing their name ; of such only 
the number is recorded, and the little word, " un- 
known," comprises all that is left of many a brave 
man's history. 

There were three men at Andersonville, in author- 
ity over the prisoners, upon whom the major part of 
the crimes committed there must rest; these were 



m SOUTHERN PRISONS. 235 

Sergeant Smith, Gen. Winder and Ca^jt. Wirz ; and 
however much infamy belongs to Jefferson Davis and 
Gen. Lee, for permitting atrocities, of which they 
must have been fully cognizant, and which were 
done by their sanction, if not by their direction, since 
a word from either would have prevented their being 
practiced ; to these men, and especially to Capt. 
Wirz, who devised and carried out the details of 
the brutal crimes, history will attach an odium and a 
disgrace that will last forever. 

Of Smith little need be said ; he was to Cai^t. 
Wirz what Sikes was to Fagan, the Jew, — a tool 
that could please his master best by the meanest 
actions ; who delighted in nothing so much as in put- 
ting irons upon brave men in his power, and in mock- 
ing their tortures by his horrid oaths and ribaldry. 
It is not worth while to attempt to elevate him to an 
infamy of fame ; — he was a puerile instrument in the 
hands of an unscrupulous villain, and in his corrup- 
tion let him wallow, without farther notice. 

Gen. Winder was connected with Andersonville 
in the capacity of Commissary General of Prisons. 
To him belongs the guilt of permitting the prisoners 
to starve and rot in filthy dens, under his own eye, 
and with his sanction, not only at Andersonville, 
where his headquarters were established, but at twelve 
other places, where the captives were confined. His 



236 FOUETEEN MONTHS 

character was that of a ruffian, viewed in whatever 
light it is placed ; he witnessed and understood the 
infernal practices of the men who had the prison inte- 
riors in charge, and it was in his power to prevent 
them ; he knew the paucity and the quality of the 
rations, and he could have increased and improved 
them ; he had cognisance of the fact that the guard 
fired recklessly upon the prisoners, killing and maim- 
ing them unnecessarily, and he praised them for their 
prowess. If the Confederate Government was too 
poor to permit him to purchase medicines for the sick, 
he could have allowed the healthy men to protect 
themselves against the climate, by building huts 
within the enclosure, whereby more than fifty per 
cent, of the sickness would have been prevented. In 
short, he had supreme and absolute control of the 
prison, and if his subordinates failed to practice the 
ordinary traits of humanity, of their own accord, it 
was in his power to compel them to do it. But such 
was evidently not his desire ; his whole career at 
Andersonville indicated that the results before him 
were such as he had planned, and he seemed to pride 
himself that he alone and unaided, was successful in 
exterminating the enemies he hated with his whole 
soul and strength, with greater rapidity than the 
Generals who had command of large armies at the 
front. By his directions, the wounded captured from 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 237 

Sherman's army, were brought to this place, where 
he knew infection and death were sure to folloAV. The 
positions of Quartermaster and Sutler were held by- 
members of his family ; the spoils taken from pris- 
oners were appropriated by them and Capt. Wirz. 
Gold and silver watches, jewelry, treasury notes, 
every thing of value, which the men possessed, and 
which, if they could have retained, or drawn upon 
them through the sutler, would have saved many 
lives, were distributed among his friends, or stored 
up for future use. His only hope of ending the war 
seemed to be in slaying and disabling his enemies, 
and in this respect he met with what, to him, seemed 
most gratifying results. Like the Tartar Emperor, 
he gloried in seating himself upon a pyramid formed 
by the skulls of his foes ; but unlike him, he lacked 
the mercy to slay them outright with the sword, and 
preferred to witness their agony, to hear their groans, 
as they slowly wasted into the grave, by famine and 
disease. 

Captain Wirz was of an exceedingly tyrannical 
disposition, and naturally a coward, coarse, brutal, 
intolerant, and vain. Such a man, without sympa- 
thies with the woes of humanity, and with a positive 
love for the exhibition of torture, when he could be 
placed beyond the reach of retaliation for his cruel- 
ties, was the most appropriate selection the Confed- 



238 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

erate authorities could have made for the fell j^urpose 
they had in view. He was unscrupulous in the exer- 
cise of his authority, which seemed to be unlimited, 
excessively cruel in the punishment of light offences, 
indifferent to the horrors by which he was surrounded, 
and apparently happiest when the misery of the pris- 
oners was greatest. He was by nature fitted to be- 
come distinguished only in the infliction of suffering, 
and during the entire time he was in charge of 
Andersonville Stockade, was never known to relent, 
or manifest the smallest symptom of pity or commis- 
eration -for the helpless men consigned to his care. 
He was profane, obscene, mean-spirited and ferocious. 
In history he must rank with ISTero for cruelty, with 
Robespierre for wanton butchery, with the Spanish 
inquisitor for fiendish cunning in the invention of 
new torments ; without, however, the genius which 
threw a cloak of respectability over the infamy of 
those scourges of mankind. In consequence of the 
lack of the ordinary traits of humanity, this human 
blood-hound resembled more the blood-thirsty sav- 
age, than any character in modern history. If he 
still lives, no remorse of conscience will affect him, 
no upbraidings of his fellow men, disturb him; noth- 
ing, in short, will ever touch his heart save the lash he 
so brutally inflicted upon the helpless men in his power, 
or the severer punishments he caused them to suffer. 



IN SOUTIIEEN PEISONS. 239 

Certain orders and forms were necessary to pre- 
serve quiet and order among thirty thousand prison- 
ers ; but in most instances, ordinary police regula- 
tions would have been sufficient for this purpose. 
Had the prisoners at Andersonville been treated like 
human beings, been properly fed and protected 
against the climate, they would have conducted them- 
selves in such manner as to avoid the necessity of 
punishment. For the lack of rations and protection 
against exposure, Capt. Wirz was not responsible ; 
but in his position, with almost absolute authority, he 
could have done much to alleviate suffering, if he 
could not remove it entirely. Had he been a man of 
spirit, of humanity, of honor, he would have resigned 
his commission, rather than have remained an instru- 
ment of torture in that den of wretchedness. In 
whatever light his conduct is viewed, it has no palli- 
ating circumstance. Judging his motives by his 
actions, the candid inquirer will ever reach the same 
general conclusion : — that he was a moral monster — 
a hideous abortion of nature, devoid alike of humanity 
and honor, and lustful of blood ; — a beast, whose 
instincts led it to revel in horrors, whose ear was 
charmed with the groans of famishing men, whose 
insatiable appetite craved misery and wretchedness, 
as its natural aliment, and turned yet hungry away 
from the ^biindant suj^ply here afforded it. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Atlanta taken by Sherman— Order of Gen. Winder that 20,000 Pris- 
oners are to be Exchanged — Escape of the Author with two Com- 
rades — Avoiding the Dogs — Encounter Hood's Scouts — Hair 
Breadth Escapes— In the midst of Hood's Army— Surrounded and 
Be-captured. 

Daily Macon and Atlanta papers were received at 
the Surgeon's headquarters, containing extended 
accounts of the successes of the rebels, in resisting 
the march of the veteran army of Sherman into the 
interior of Georgia. They all advocated the policy 
of allowing Sherman to advance far from his base of 
supplies, without opposition, even to the taking of 
Atlanta, if necessary ; when by a combined attack 
upon his rear, his communications could be cut, and 
his gallant army forced to retreat through the ene- 
my's country. The rebel Generals, however, reject- 
ed the advice of the stragetic editors, and in a few 
days we heard of a glorious victory in front of the city, 
in which 4,000 Yankees were taken prisoners ; and a 
short time after came the news that Sherman was so 
crippled that the Confederate forces, (out of pity, it 



242 FOUKTEEX MONTHS 

is presumed,) had fallen back upon the Chattahoo- 
cliie, leaving all their mounted guns as a present to 
the vanquished foe ; and that orders from Sherman 
had been found, commanding that, owing to the 
temporary scarcity of provisions, only half rations 
should be issued to his men. Scarcely had the cheers 
which greeted these tidings of great joy to the Geor- 
gia militia, on duty at Andersonville, died away, be- 
fore a negro reported to the clerks, that Gen. Winder 
had just received a dispatch, announcing that Sher- 
man's whole army liad occupied Atlanta, Johnston 
barely es-caping capture, with all his command. At- 
lanta, the heroic city, whose inhabitants to a man, 
had sworn (to take the charge of perjury from their 
souls, let us hope, with a mental reservation,) to die 
before surrendering their town to the plundering 
Yankees, Atlanta, the great, the powerful and — 
the gasconading, had fallen, and its citizens were not 
all sacriliced. Indeed, in a few days the Macon 
papers were sof;u* convinced, that it would be useless 
to resist the victorious arms of Gen. Sherman, that 
they advised the citizens of that city to remain quietly 
at their homes, and offer no opposition to the con- 
queror. 

Two weeks had elapsed, since the last medicines 
in the dispensary had been issued, and the sufferings 
of the prisoners had increased with frightful rapidity* 



IN 80UTIIEEN PEISONS. 243 

It was evident that Homethirig Ijad occurred to diH- 
turb tlie regular Hupply of rationw, a.s well as of mcd- 
icirjcH, and our faithful negro koom informed uh, that 
it wa8 believed at Win dor's headquarters that the 
objective point of Sherman's advance was Anderson- 
ville, and that our security was seriously threatened. 
We were not surprised to receive, after dark on the 
Qilirof September, an order from Gen. Winder, that 
there was to be an immediate exchange of 20,000 
men, and that Savannah and Charleston were the 
points, at which the exchange was to be effected. 
This news was at once conveyed to the prisoners 
within the stockade, (who at this time were ignorant 
of the capture of Atlanta,) with orders to be ready 
to start next morning, in detachments. The inteli- 
gence was greeted with cheer upon cheer, by the 
ffimished men, and the air was rent with the noisy 
expressions of joy at their speedy deliverance. The 
clerks, who had better sources of information than 
the prisoners in the stockade, did not, however, credit 
the proposed exchange, but saw in it only a ruse to 
induce the men to submit quietly to a removal to 
some place of greater security. On the morning of 
the Yth a train load started, followed by another at 
noon of the same day, and two more, on the next. 
The clerks reported as usual at the sick-call, but had 
nothing to do, for lack of medicines. In passing 



244 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

back to my quarters near the dispensary, I sat down 
as the long file of wretched prisoners limped slowly 
on, toward the Railroad station ; and the misery here 
seen, presented forcibly to my mind the gloomy fate 
in store for us. As before stated, I did not believe 
this to be a movement for exchange, and the fore- 
bodings of another terrible winter in some desolate 
field, or filthy warehouse, added tenfold intensity 
to the dreary prospect. While reflecting upon the 
probable fortune of these men, a clerk came up to 
me with the inteligence that all the clerks must go on 
the noon train (on the 8th) or return to the prison. 
I came to an immediate decision as to the line of 
conduct I should pursue, — I had considered for the 
last two months a plan of escape, which I had con- 
fided to three only, of the fourteen that constituted 
our mess. — With two of these, Hudson of a Maryland 
regunent, and Beach of the 21st Wisconsin, I had 
conversed quite freely, and with them the j^lan, or 
rather the chance of success, had been fully discussed. 
Some time previous to this we had decided to escape, 
unless relief came to our aid, but had deferred the 
attempt from time to time in the hope of exchange. 
Hastening to them I urged that now, while the ex- 
citement attendant upon the removal lasted, was the 
most favorable opportunity for our project; every 
day we waited lessened our chances of " living upon 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 245 

tlie country," without visiting the Iiouses on our 
route. We had to consider that we were breaking 
our parole ; that disappointment had attended most 
of those who had made the attempt; that if it were 
suspected we had tried to escape, tlie terrible dogs 
would be set upon our track and would surely over- 
take us. We were not skilled in casuistry, but it 
seemed to us that it was right to adopt any means, 
in our power to escape the tortures of another winter 
in the hells in which we were kept, even though they 
involved the breaking of our paroles. It was simply 
a case of self-preservation, and we certainly felt no 
compunctions in acting upon this, the first law of 
nature. The only consequences we dreaded, were 
those sure to follow upon recapture, and we knew 
full well what these would be. As we must risk our 
lives equally, if we remained or ran away, we came 
to the conclusion to avail ourselves of the j^resent 
opportunity, and accordingly made our few prepara- 
tions, without a moment's delay. Sometime previous 
I had accidently found a small piece of a map of the 
States of Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee ; it was 
less than five inches square, but gave the location 
of the rivers, railroads and towns, from Kashville to 
Chattanooga and Atlanta, cutting off half the last 
name ; thence it was burned in a sort of semicircle, 
bcloW Andersonville to Araericus, Am being all of 



246 FOtTRTEEN MONTHS 

that word left, thence it was torn across the State of 
Alabama to Corinth, Miss., and round to Nashville 
again. It had been in the possession of one of the 
guard who had thrown it into the fire, and I had 
picked it up from among the ashes. It seemed as if 
Providence had preserved it for our party. Mr. Hud- 
son, while on duty had seen a comj^ass uj)on the desk 
in the Chief Surgeon's office ; it was about three inches 
in diameter, and was enclosed in a strong box. This 
he had secured, and, with my help, secreted beyond 
the reach of discovery. We expected that it would 
be missed and of course that the clerks would be 
suspected of stealing it ; but by good fortune its loss 
was either unnoticed, or it was considered of too 
little consequence to be sought for. The compass 
and map were now invaluable accessories in our 
scheme. 

We determined to start dii-ectly after dinner, and 
with that view arranged our little affairs with one of 
our friends, I. P. Tedrow, a sergeant of the 89th O. 
V. I., that in case we were never heard from, our 
friends at home would know that we had made one 
effort to regain our freedom. Our usual dinner of 
black peas was ah-eady over the fire, but when cook- 
ed, we were too much excited to eat. The fearful 
hazard we were about to make, created a feeling of 
uneasiness, which we could with difficulty conceal. 



IN SOUTHEKN PRISOKS. 247 

It was now our great object to procure as mucli corn 
bread as we could conveniently bestow in our haver- 
sacks, and convey it into the swamp, without excit- 
ing the suspicion of our own "boys," of the sur- 
geons, and the military detectives, that were con- 
stantly on the alert for such cases. By closely 
watching our opportunities, we succeeded, one by 
one, in conveying our things, wrapped in old shirts, 
into a place of safety. To provide against the pur- 
suit of the dogs, we had agreed with one of our 
friends, that in case any inquiry was made for us, he 
should report us, as having gone on the train to 
Charleston, in accordance with Gen. Winder's or- 
der. Unless some one escaped from the' stockade, 
in all probability the hounds would not be let loose, 
and we hoped to avoid them altogether. 

The day before we started, I held a conversation 
with a man who had formerly been the cook for our 
mess. He had taken great pains to gain, from the 
guards and from private, personal explorations, a 
considerable knowledge of the nature of the country 
round about, and had even passed beyond the picket 
lines, in a suit of gray cloth, which he had in some 
way procured. From this man, I obtained some val- 
uable information of the nature of the swamp, and 
the best route across it, together with a correct notion 
of the situation of the scouts and pickets without the 



248 FOtlRTEEN MONTHS 

prison. Oxir map had been very carefully studied 
until Ave were familiar with all the points of import- 
ance in our undertaking, their location and general 
direction, as well as an approximation to their real 
distances from each other. I was perfectly familiar 
with the most approved methods of finding the North 
star, even in partially cloudy nights, and had prac- 
tised running lines with the compass several years 
before, while at school. The knowledge then acquired, 
was still fresh in my memory, and we felt sure that if 
we were once fairly on our route, we should reach our 
lines successfully. 

At the time appointed we bade f^xrewell to the hos- 
pital and dispensary, and pushed into the swamp, 
feeling our way carefully from bog to bog, until we 
were quite out of sight of the building. It was the 
first time we had attempted to cross the swamp, and 
we found the undertaking much more diflicult than 
we had anticipated, sinking sometimes to the waist 
in the quagmires that secretly lay in wait for us. By 
dint of much struggling and pulling, we succeeded 
after a time in reaching solid land. We came out on 
a steep bank, where the small pox hospital had been 
located, and keeping as near the earth as we could 
and make any progress, we moved forward through 
the underbrush, briers and thickets, until we reached 
a high, rolling piece of ground, partly cleai'ed. Our 



IN HonTUKus iMtrsoxs. 240 

route had Uiuh far bcicn in a SoutheaHterly direction, 
and as wtt looked back towards tlic KortliwcHt, the 
Might oi'the Htockadc; and its h wanning inniatcH, caused 
a deep Hhud<ler to thrill our frames. We were bid- 
ding, as we hoped, an eternal farewell to its horrors, 
but a sense of commiseration foj- the sufferers h-ft 
behind, excited a strong desire for vengeance against 
the villainous j>(!rp(;tralors of so many crimes against 
liu;nanity ; and we there solemnly vowed, if w(; ever 
reached our honuis in safety, to do all in our power 
to spread a knowledge of the terrible sc(;nes here 
enacted, over the whole land, and arouse, if j>ossible, 
our Government to take measures of retaliation upon 
a barbarous enei. y that could carry on such a system 
of cruelty. 

No time was to be lost, howevcir, for it was neces- 
sary to put as many miles between us and the stock- 
ade, before sunscjt, as it was possilile, in case the; dogs 
should follow us. Changing our course due South, 
and traveling in the woods, to avoid observation, we 
passed on till we came to a large field of corn. Thin 
obstruction caused us to bend to the right, keejiing 
well in the busjies, when we were startled by the 
sound of human voices. Peering cautiously through 
the leaves, we discovered a dwelling house not more 
than a hundred yards distant, from which the voices 
thathadalarmedus, proceeded. It was a man and his 



250 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

children at play ; fortunately they had not seen ns, 
but the timely discovery made us draw back hastily 
into a deeper thicket, and consider the " situation." 
This obstacle directly in our front compelled a retreat, 
wliich was effected in good order, when we flanked 
the house upon the left, proceeding with great cau- 
tion, lest our blue uniforms should betray us. Exert- 
ing our powers of locomotion to the utmost, we were 
soon beyond the reach of this danger, only to expose 
ourselves to still another ; for scarcely had we passed 
out of sight of the house, before we were confronted 
by a large plantation of corn-fields and open land. 
This was a greater impediment than the other ; the 
negro huts and the dwelling of tl^^ master were in 
plain sight, a half a mile or so to our left ; we could 
cross these fields only with great risk, in the day- 
light, and to remain where we were, involved an 
equal hazard. It seemed imperative that we should 
continue to advance, and so we scaled the rail fence 
and crossed the field as rapidly as we could, keeping 
near the ground to avoid observation, and anticipa- 
ting that at least a dozen men were on every row of 
the cornfield, watching all our movements with keen 
eyes ; and though every alternate row was planted 
with peanuts, which grow in this climate in great 
abundance, we did not stop to examine or gather the 
tempting fruit, but hastened on with all our speed, 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 25 1 

towards the timber, which we gained in safety. The 
heat was terrific, and when we reached the shade of 
the pine forest, our clothes were completely saturated 
with perspiration ; but we esteemed tliis as light, 
when compared with another winter in a rebel j^rison, 
and we hurried forwards through the woods, till we 
arrived at what appeared to us a lower open country, 
wheii we changed our course by the compass to the 
Southwest, leaving a planter's house and hundreds 
of acres of corn in plain view. 

In passing over a hill covered with shrub oak, we 
crossed numerous well-traveled paths, in whose sand 
we found many human foot prints, looking fresh, as 
if they had just been made. We were careful to 
leave no trace of our feet, and concealed ourselves as 
much as possible from sight, by taking advantage of 
every bush, and scrutinizing every open spot, before 
passing over it. The woods were very open — which, 
characteristic of all Southern timber lands through 
which we passed, was undoubtedly of advantage to 
teams, for purposes of transit, but it seemed super- 
fluous tons, in our "business." Plantation roads 
now began to appear, traversing the woods in vari- 
ous directions, before crossing which we made care- 
ful reconnoisance, listening attentively to any sounds 
that we might hear. Growing bolder as we advanced, 
we pressed on through fields and orchards, pastures 



252 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

and meadow lauds, until we came to a piece of tim- 
ber, through which a deep, dry ravine led in the 
direction we wished to follow ; pursuing this, we were 
almost shrouded in darkness, though in the open 
spaces without, the sun was still shining. At last, 
emerging from the woods there appeared, directly in 
front of us, what seemed to be a sheet of water. Bear- 
incr off to the left we found ourselves in the midst of 
another swamp. This was a piece of good fortune, 
for while we were in the swamps, we felt sure that 
our track could not be followed by the dogs — a fal- 
lacy as we afterwards learned — and here also, we 
were less liable to be discovered, as few persons, 
unless driven hither for purposes of concealment, 
would venture into it. A sluggish stream ran through 
the swamp, but the water was so low that many fallen 
logs bridged it, though they were yet covered with 
mud and slime. Breaking some large sticks from the 
shrubs that grew here, we felt our way with them, 
over the logs and bits of timber, for what appeared 
to us the distance of a mile or more. About sun- 
down we heard the terrible yelp of the hounds ; we 
started as if the fiends of hell were upon our track ; 
in an instant the awful punishments we had seen in- 
flicted upon *' runaways," flashed upon our remem- 
brance, and we imagined ourselves bitten and torn 
by these ferocious beasts, returned to Andersonville, 



IN SOUTHERN rillSONS. 253 

standing in the stocks and exposed to the gibes and 
leering mockery of Captain Wirz, as he laughed in 
glee over the unsuccessful termination of our adven- 
ture. Back into the swamp we hurried, to conceal 
in its bogs and fens, the scent of our footsteps, seek- 
ing that sympathy with the filthy reptiles that inhabit 
those horrid sloughs, which civilized man denied us. 
HereVe waited, anxiously listening to the howling 
of the dogs, till it died away in the distance, when we 
knew that either they were not on our track, or that 
they had lost it. Just as the sun was setting, we 
emerged from our hiding place, and advancing rap- 
idly to make up the time we had lost, we found our- 
selves on the edge of another swamp, by the side of 
which was a field of sorghum, in which there was 
some one moving about. Peering in among the 
stalks, we saw several negroes still at labor, and the 
plantation dogs were running and barking about the 
field. Fearing immediate discovery, we beat a hasty 
retreat to the swamp, and plunged through it, with 
all the speed we could, stumbling over bogs and de- 
caying wood, sometimes sinking to our waists in the 
soft mud, and sometimes falling headlong over pros- 
trate logs, or getting entangled among the tall, coarse 
grass which grew in various places around us. Leg 
weary, and faint from our long and difficult journey, 
aijd footsore arjd hungry, we finally reached dry land 



25 -{ FOURTEEN MONTHS 

again, near an extensive field of corn, through which 
we skulked rapidly to a piece of woods directly in 
our course. Supposing ourselves completely out of 
danger for the night, we hurried forward through the 
thickets, when we discovered but a few rods ahead 
of us, some twenty negro huts, completely surrounded 
by the woods. The voices of the negroes came dis- 
tinctly to our ears, as we stood watching them at 
their Avork. Flanking this place by a circuit of a 
mile or more, we came upon a small village on the 
Railroad that leads South from Andersonville, and 
we supposed that we were near Americus. The Rail- 
road at this point ran through a deep cut, just in the 
edge of a piece of timber ; the excavated earth had 
been thrown up on the side towards us, forming a 
sort of high breast-work, up which we crawled, to 
reconnoitre the position. Just across the Railroad 
was a plantation, or rather a large cleared field, over 
which a white man was driving some cattle. We 
were secure from observation, from him at least, but 
if he had seen us, he would no doubt have been much 
alarmed, for the people of this part of Georgia have 
a great dread of the " infernal Yanks," whether armed 
or unarmed. 

We had now reached a place where it was neces- 
sary to halt, until after dark, for it would be impos- 
sible to cross the open space before us in daylight ; 



IN SOUTHERN PEISONS. 255 

SO we crawled carefully back into the thicket and 
waited patiently for night's curtain to fall. While 
remaining here, the locomotive whistle sounded, and 
jjresently the cars came thundering j^ast, showing us 
that we Avere much nearer Andersonville than we had 
hoped. Soon after the train passed us, although it 
was not dark enough for absolute safety, we ventured 
on a§;ain. Finding an easy place to cross the deep 
cut, we clambered down to the track, where Hudson 
discovered a mile post, which told us, much to our 
disappointment, that we were just four and a half 
•miles South of Andersonville station. We had thus 
traveled in a circuit of some twelve or fifteen miles, 
and had made an absolute distance of four and a half 
But one thing we felt quite sure of, namely : if we 
were pursued by the dogs, they would be obliged to 
follow us over every rod of ground we had traversed, 
and we were at least twelve miles ahead of them, 
even if we had come out at Andersonville station 
itself 

Before crossing the Railroad we had determined 
upon the course we would take, and had now a long 
night before us. We should have no more doubling 
back upon our course to avoid houses and the human 
face, Avhich was more to be dreaded than wild beasts ; 
henceforth, our line of march was straight forwards 
for by traveling all this night we could place so great 



256 FOUETEEN MONTHS 

a distance between ourselves and Andersonville, as 
to i^reclude the possibility of pursuit by the dogs, — 
another fallacy learned by experience. The plan we 
had marked out was to travel due West, cross the 
Chattahoochie and proceed beyond it some twenty- 
llv e miles ; then, making a right angle, to turn due 
North, until beyond Columbus and West Point, — 
both places some seventy-five or a hundred miles 
Northwest of Andersonville ; being safely past those 
points, to take a Northeasterly direction and strike 
the Railroad some where in the vicinity of Marietta, 
whichwe knew to be then in our possession. We 
concluded that Sherman would follow up his recent 
success, using Atlanta as a new base, threaten Co- 
lumbus and West Point with his right, Macon with 
his center, and Augusta with his left ; and that in all 
probability there would be a considerable Confed- 
erate force both at West Point and Columbus, which 
it would be convenient and proper for us to avoid, if 
possible. Hence, we deemed it the best policy to 
steer clear of those two j)oints, and, although it would 
involve a great deal of traveling, to make our way 
up through Alabama. So with compass in hand, we 
took a course due Westward, striking into a beauti- 
ful woodland, where the ground was clear of sticks 
and logs. It was smooth and covered with a thick 
carpet of grass, which rendered the walking both 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 257 

pleasant and easy, while here and there the roads 
leading to the interior plantations passed beneath a 
vault of green foliage, and looked very alluring to 
us ; but we knew they must be avoided for the sake 
of our safety. 

This pleasant scene soon ended, and, judging from 
the appearance of the region ahead of us, that it was 
another of those low swara23y tracts, which abound 
in this part of Georgia, we determined to b6ar a few 
degrees to the Northwest, to avoid it. Picking ouf^ 
ground, as we thought to the best advantage, we 
stumbled into the edge of a black alder swamp, so 
thick that we could with the greatest difficulty force 
ourselves through it. Patiently pushing on, after 
incredible exertion, we reached a piece of timber, 
and presently came to a ravine which was followed 
some distance ; but when it turned from our course, 
we abandoned it, ascended its steep sides, and found 
ourselves on the summit of a hill, from which as well 
as we could discern in the darkness, a tract of cleared 
land reached for considerable distance. We mounted 
a " stake and rider " fence with the intention of cross- 
ing this space, when our ears were beset with a fear- 
ful yell, which shook us from head to foot. It seemed 
to proceed out of the earth at our feet and echoed 
and re-echoed from the forest we had just left behind. 
We thought for a moment we had reached the far- 



258 FOUETEEN MONTHS 

famed "jumping oiF" place, and had jmnpedj and 
here were the ushers to announce the arrival of &Cc, 
to his Majesty, the patron saint of — Andersonville. 
Interpreting his " by your leave," in our own way, 
we scaled the high fence in a twinkling, and waited 
the result. We had been so long away from the 
army that we no longer recognized the once familiar 
bray of the mule. Fearful that there might be a herd 
of these indocile animals in the pasture, and that they 
might charge our lines to our disadvantage, if we 
again invaded their territory, we concluded to pass 
around. their dominions and leave them to the undis- 
turbed enjoyment of their vocal entertainment. Mak- 
ing all haste in our power, we soon came to a plan- 
tation road, upon which a cart, driven by an old 
negro, was hurrying along with a furious noise, 
accompanied by a dog baying loudly. Tlie buildings 
of the plantation soon hove in sight, which, from the 
sounds issuing from them, we concluded were occu- 
pied by negroes, cows, hogs, dogs, cats and mules. 
The effect of this strange medley upon us was, for a 
moment, to silence our fears, and Ave forgot that we 
were fugitives from an oppression, worse than that 
which held these chattels, human and otherwise, in 
bondage. The old thought that we were not yet 
free men, soon came back to us, and with stout hearts 
we again took up our line of march. 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 259 

During the early part of the evening, our way led 
through the darkness and solitude of the woods, 
where we were exposed to the attacks of brush, sharp- 
pointed sticks and twigs, which constantly "punched" 
us in the side, face and eyes. This was a serious 
annoyance, but we pushed on with little attention to 
it, knowing well that our journey was no pleasure 
trip.- After the " shades of night " had sufficiently 
deepened, to bring out the light of the moon, we had 
the pleasure of its company. It being the early part 
of the month, we had calculated upon its aid in our 
night wanderings, and were not deceived. Its rays 
aided us materially in avoiding the natural obstruc- 
tions in our path. At about one o'clock we came 
upon a road, which by the compass, seemed to run in 
the direction we wished to take. Following this, we 
found we could more than double the distance in the 
same time, besides resting ourselves from the intol- 
erable annoyance of the limbs and twigs of the tim- 
ber. Upon all roads, we marched at intervals of 
about eight rods from each other ; in order, in case of 
alarm, that sufficient notice might be given to enable 
the two in the rear at least, to escape. We had fol- 
lowed this road for a short distance when the man in 
front discovered a bright light directly before us, 
which we supposed to be the camp fire of " scouts," 
who were stationed on all the principal roads at the 



260 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

distance of some fifteen miles from Andersonville, to 
intercept such adventurers as ourselves. We moved 
cautiously up in the shade of the fence, until within 
ear shot of the light, and listened. A series of loud 
groans reached our ears, and we concluded that some 
one had incautiously approached too near, and been 
fired upon and wounded by the picket. Satisfying 
ourselves that the sounds proceeded from a fork of 
the roads, one of which ran North from that point, 
we carefully retraced our steps, and when at a sufli- 
cient distance to avoid observation from any who 
might -be stationed near the light, we leaped the fence 
into a large cornfield, and proceeded rapidly and 
noiselessly in a Northwest direction, so as to strike 
the imagined North and South road. Passing out of 
the cornfield, into a large patch of sweet potatoes and 
sugar cane, yet unripe and unfit for eating, (the sea- 
son seemed to have been very backward, here, ) we 
reached the road, as we expected, and proceeded 
Northward upon it. Several dwellings, with the 
lights still burning, were passed, and large, savage 
dogs flew out at us with loud yells, as if with the 
intention of devouring us on the spot. 

This road was leading us too far North for our pur- 
pose, and we accordingly abandoned it, after pro- 
ceeding a short distance. Striking off into the woods 
in a Westerly course, we came to one of the numer- 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 261 

ous plantation roads, which in this part of the South 
lead in various directions to the " inland " plantations, 
and followed it for some distance, it being in our 
course; but conceiving that we were going too far 
West, we once more left the beaten track and plung- 
ed rapidly through the woods, receiving the usual salu- 
tations in our faces and eyes from the low brush, until 
we again struck a road, this time a main avenue of 
travel, leading Northwest. It was sandy and dry, 
and we continued upon it for a long distance, walk- 
ing in the ruts, in our usual file. 

Light soon began to break ; the crowing of the 
cocks announced that it was time to cast about for 
some place of security and rest for the ensuing day. 
Traveling as late as we dared without risk of being 
seen, we filed off* into a large body of timber, lying 
West of the road, where we established our head- 
quarters beneath a group of thick shrub oak. We 
had been upon the road about eighteen hours, with 
no rest, no halt, except for a few minutes before sun- 
set, when we had reached the railroad near Ander- 
sonville, and were weary, faint and hungry. Our 
entire commissary contained only a pint of salt and 
four pounds of corn bread, we having found nothing 
but raw corn, in the way of edibles, upon our route. 
Having made a light breakfast upon a part of the 
bread, we subdued our longing for more as best we 



262 rOUETEEK MONTHS 

could. We had determined before setting out, in no 
case to approach a house, as nearly every man who 
had been fortunate enough to get beyond the scouts 
and pickets, had been decoyed and retaken while 
stopping for the purpose of obtaining food ; we there- 
fore knew that there was nothing more for us to eat 
until we found it upon our next night's march. We 
slept lightly till ten o'clock in the morning, catching 
every rustle of the leaves, and breaking of the twigs, 
and starting up, with our imaginations full of sudden 
cajiture and fierce bloodhounds. We found on 
waking, that we were quite near the road, much 
nearer than we considered compatible with safety, 
and moved to what seemed a more secure spot, far- 
ther back in the woods, where we soon discovered 
much to our disappointment, that we were in close 
proximity to a large house and another highway ; and 
that the road must be crossed in plain view of the 
house. We skulked across quickly, and took up a 
new position beneath the friendly shade of a clump 
of shrub oak. We had remained here but a very 
short time, before we heard a man pounding, as if 
splitting shingles or staves, not more than thirty 
yards distant from us. This was new cause of un- 
easiness, and we were compelled to retire Btill far- 
ther back into the woods, where we lay undis- 
turbed imtil sunset. We congratulated ourselves 



IN" SOUTHERN PRISONS. 263 

upon our success thus far ; we had taken every pre- 
caution against all the difficulties we could foresee, 
and had in many instances had cause to test the use- 
fulness of our little sagacity. But we were especially 
satisfied with our escape from the bloodhounds, for 
we felt sure that they could not track us to this point. 
Our travels in the swamps would tend to throw them 
off the scent; besides this, we had walked in the rut 
in the main road, in order that the wheels of the first 
vehicles, which might pass in that direction, would 
obliterate the scent of our footsteps. We were now 
at least, twenty-five miles from the prison, and if the 
dogs had not been started, we had full thirty hours 
the advance, with another long night to march in. 

In our last night's exj^edition, through swamps, 
rivers and briers, we had obtained suflicient experi- 
ence to give us an idea of the magnitude of the un- 
dertaking before us. "VVe determined, therefore, to 
shape our course for the future in such a direction 
that, while we were secure from the enemy, (we con- 
sidered no one our friend) we should also save all 
the distance possible. To follow out our original 
plan and pass due West, twenty-five miles beyond 
the Chattahoochie, would require many a weary 
mile of unnecessary traveling. During the afternoon 
the map was re-examined, when it was found that by 
taking a Northwestern course, until within twenty- 



264 rOPETEEN MONTHS 

five or thirty miles of Columbus ; thence North, across 
the Fort Valley Railroad to Newnan, a small town 
forty miles from Atlanta, on the West Point and At- 
lanta Railroad, we should save about a hundred 
miles, — a matter of no small consideration in our then 
condition, — and we determined to modify our origin- 
al design, so as to adapt it to this new route. We 
thus definitely settled upon our next two weeks' 
campaign, and trusted to its successful execution, to 
develope the proper course to be followed after- 
wards. 

The locust, which abound in great numbers in 
this region, set up their shrill piping, just about sun- 
set, making the whole woods ring with their notes ; 
and the commencement of their song was agreed up- 
on as our signal for moving forward ; the exact course 
by the compass was laid out, from which we never 
departed, materially, lest in the darkness we should 
lose our latitude and.longitude. Crawling from our 
hiding place, and having carefully reconnoitered our 
position, to be sure we were not noticed by any one, 
we commenced our long weary nights' march. A 
miles walk brought us out of the woods, past a large 
plantation, to a stream meandering through a field 
of corn, where we slaked our thirst (we had been 
without water all day) and partook of some refresh- 
ment, in the way of cold corn bread. Having finish- 



IK SOUTHEEK PRISONS. 265 

ed our repast, and bathed our hands and faces, we 
pushed on with all possible speed over the broken- 
down cornstalks, and the ridges of the field into a 
piece of timber, through which we marched hastily, 
emerging at length point blank upon a large mansion, 
situated just out of the woods. Making a short cZe- 
tour around the building, we reached the road, but 
had scarcely reached it, when we heard the light gal- 
lop of a horse just around a bend, and concealed from 
us by the bushes, but apparently coming with great 
speed upon us. We scarcely touched the high rail 
fence in leaping over it, and hardly dared to breathe 
until we were secreted in a friendly cane field, and 
the horse and his rider had passed quite out of hear- 
ing. Fortune had favored us by this alarm, for think- 
ing it unsafe to return to the road, we continued on 
in the cane field, and had proceeded but a short dis- 
tance when we discovered a melon patch, in which a 
few melons had been left ungathered. We made no 
scruple in helping ourselves to such of them as suited 
our purpose, and sat down upon the ground to enjoy 
the luscious fruit. But our enjoyment was soon ir- 
terrupted; a fleet horseman passed up the road, ap- 
Iparently on the search for us, trying, as we thought, 
to head ofl'our course ; when in a few minutes after 
he had gone, a little to our right, and in the direction 
in which he had come, a long blast upon a horn was 
18 



266 FOUKTEEN MONTHS 

heard calling together a pack of dogs, which imme- 
diately set up that familiar, but none the less horrible 
yell, that had filled our imaginations with so much 
dread, for the last day and night. Our blood seemed 
to curdle in our veins, as we lay flat upon the ground 
listening to those fearful sounds ; expecting momen- 
tarily to be seized and returned to our prison. But 
fortune again favored us ; the sounds of the gallop- 
ing horse grew fainter and fainter, and the deep bay 
of the dogs died away in the distance. 

Drawing a long breath of relief, we rose to our 
feet, and went forward. Presently we came to a 
rice field, — the first we had met with — and as we 
waded through the tall, dense growth, wet with the 
heavy dew, our clothing was saturated, higher than 
our waists. We then crossed an extensive corn-field 
dragging ourselves wearily over the high ridges, 
while the heavy growth of the stalks, constantly 
thrust itself in our faces. The air was filled with the 
shrill tones of the locusts and the merry voices of the 
negroes, who had just returned from labor, and were 
relieving themselves after their toil, by singing, danc- 
ing, and lively chattering ; until nine o'clock, we 
could easily locate the plantation buildings by the 
noise these negroes made ; after that time, silence, 
unbroken except by the barking of the dreadful 
blood-hounds, prevailed. We came out into a large 



m SOUTHERN PRISONS. 267 

pasture, in ^^Eich at the foot of a hill stood a house, 
when we were again beset by a ferocious hound, 
that obliged us to turn off into a pine forest, so dense 
that the moon could not penetrate it with its rays. 
Forward through ravines, reeking with moisture and 
poisonous vapors ; over hills, where the loose stones 
rolled back as we trod upon them, and tripped us 
bruised to the ground ; through pine forests, where 
the thick darkness became visible, and the silence so 
profound that the faintest rustle of the leaves was 
painfully loud ; forward, scratched and torn by the 
pointed sticks, with bleeding hands and limbs, into 
the long fields of corn, stretching far away in the 
distance and looking in the silvery light of the moon 
like vast lakes ; forward, many miles of weary march- 
ing on the furrowed ground, with nothing to break 
the settled monotony, except an occasional fence 
over which we ^^lambered in haste, lest some keen- 
eyed watcher might observe us, and send us back to 
the tortures we had left, until it seemed as if the 
earth had become one vast granary, and we were 
lost in it. Still forward, out at last upon the broad 
highway, wandering among its deflections, now right, 
now left, over bridged streams and through marshes ; 
stopping where the warp and woof in this 
ntncate net of roads crossed each other, to examine 
he direction of each by the compass, and select our 



"ZOii FOUE,TEE]S^ MONTHS 

proper course; forward, past the costly mansions of 
the masters, the hovels of the slaves, protected alike 
in their slumbers by the " deep-mouthed hound ;" 
through villages, where countless curs followed us 
with vulgar cries strangely contrasted with the loud- 
er tones of their royal brothers ; forward, cringing 
and cowering, like criminals, whom justice, yet un- 
appeased, pursues with tireless feet, glancing anx- 
iously around, our hearts startled into a more rapid 
beating, by the shadows upon the doors, and the 
moaning of the wind through the pines near by on 
either side. In a shed by the roadside, a man with 
a lantern was seeking something, what we did not . 
stop to learn. He turned the full blaze of his 
lamp upon us, as we passed lightly by, but he did 
not see us, and we sped on. Two men were heard 
talking in the road just before us, approaching ; 
nearer and nearer, as we knew -l^y their tones. . 
Bounding noiselessly over the fence,'^we lay with i 
bated breath in a friendly corner, until their voices i 
were lost in the distance, when we resumed our 
monotonous tramp. Tramp tramp, with weary feet, , 
forward for liberty, skulking over fences to avoid the i 
noisy rebuffs of the dogs, and back again when we had I 
reached a safe distance beyond them ; into or- 
chards, in vain pursuit of the fruits that had long been 
gathered; through more corn fields, where we pluck- - 

i 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 269 

ed the large, yellow spikes and ground them with our 
teeth, to silence the hunger within us ; confronted 
by other dogs that chased us in double quick, from 
the vicinity of dwellings, which had been nnrevealed 
or too late discovered for safety, but for them. Tramp 
tramp, now leaving the highway, because the light 
began to break in the far-oif East, admonishing us 
that wp must seek a hiding place for the day ; where 
the unfriendly eyes of man would not find us ; in the 
woods, over logs and through thickets, more and 
more scratched and torn and bleeding, yet still for- 
ward. We traced a little stream to a spring, its 
source, hoping to find security near the living waters ; 
but too many footpaths converged here for perfect 
concealment, and we hastened off, far into the dense 
forest, where the disturbing foot of man would be 
less likely to come. And here we threw ourselves 
upon the bosom of our common mother, and sought 
rest. Remaining until noon, one of our number set 
out in search of water ; making discovery of a swamp 
;a short distance in our rear, he returned to conduct 
us to it. Bending low u23on our faces, we slaked our 
burning thirst from the bogs, and lying down again, 
slept. 

When we awoke, the rain was pouring down in 
torrents ; but it soon cleared off, leaving us, strange 
as it may seem, greatly refreshed. We made a hasty 



270 FOURTEEN MOKTHS 

meal of raw corn, moistened by water from the 
swamp, and marked out om* com-se for the coming 
night. The locusts commenced their evening con- 
cert, announcing that it was time for us to begin our 
journey. Our path was due Xorth, and led us 
through woods and fields, through swamps, and over 
ridges. The high rolling lands seemed to lay in beds, 
with a ravine upon one side, and a swamp upon the 
other. On these rich lands we usually found several 
melon patches, upon w^hich enough of the fruit was 
left ungathered, to satisfy our wants, and we did not 
hesitate in appropriating it. Traveling on in this 
manner, without incident or adventure, save being 
drenched with crossing through six swamps, and as 
many intervening fields, covered with high grass and 
weeds, and wet with the recent rain, we came to a 
region that seemed to be low and level and to stretch 
far away in front and on our right. The night fog 
had settled heavily down upon it, giving it the ap- 
pearance of a fertile tract, such as frequently occurs 
in the lower valley of the Mississippi. Having rested 
a few moments, to take observations of our position, 
we pushed forward, and immediately encountered the 
tall, stubborn weeds of the low lands, through which 
we forced our way wath extreme difiiculty, they being 
strong, wet and high above our heads. These over- 
come, after a painful and protracted struggle, we 



IX SOUTHERN PRISONS. 271 

reached clear ground again, or rather another of 
those almost interminable cornfields. Field after 
field of the tall, white stalks, upon which the grain 
was still unj^icked, succeeded each other for miles, in 
one continuous line, interrupted only by an occasional 
swamp or ravine. Tired at length of the mud, we 
left the plowed ground and struck upon a pine ridge 
which promised better traveling. But we were dis- 
appointed in the change, for scarcely had we entered 
the pines when we began to descend a declivity, down 
which we handed ourselves, as it were, by hanging 
to the bushes. It seemed as if we Avere going down 
into the mouth of some bottomless j^it, so profound 
was the darkness, and so steep the descent. At the 
bottom we found another swamp. We were each 
armed with heavy oak sticks, both to defend our- 
selves in case of sudden attack, and to feel our way, 
when, as in the j)resent case, the path was rough and 
uncertain. It was my turn to lead the advance, which 
I did, using my *' stick" to probe the foundation at 
every step. At first the mud and water were shal- 
low, but as we advanced, they became deeper and 
deeper ; the prickly vines crossed and re-crossed each 
other, in every conceivable shape, forming a com- 
plete net-work, through which, in the darkness, we 
found the utmost difficulty in forcing a passage ; to 
this, were added t^U cane brakes and a species of 



272 FOITKTEEX MONTHS 

palm, whose broad leaf closely resembled those used 
at the North for fans, and wliat with mud and water, 
vines, brakes and palm, we found our enterprise any- 
thing but a pleasure excursion. 

By the feeble moonlight, the tall decayed trees 
could be faintly traced upon the lighter back ground 
of the sky, standino; farther and farther off in our 
front, and indicating that the morass continued in 
their direction as far as the eye could reach. Probing 
the foundation, we found our walking sticks could be 
buried vertically in the yielding mud. We had now 
struggled with all our might for an hour, and had 
made a distance of ten rods, since entering the swamp. 
It was impossible to go on any further in that direc- 
tion, for at every step forward, the ground grew more 
and more unfavorable. We already stood in the 
mire up to our knees, with every prospect of sinking 
still deeper if we attempted to advance. There was 
no alternative but to retrace our steps as rapidly as 
possible, and to change our line of advance in some 
other direction. Turning back accordingly, we took 
a course along the left border of the swamp, which 
led us in a Westerly direction, and pursued it for the 
small matter of twelve miles. It is not probable that 
the swamp extended that distance in a direct line ; 
whether it did or did not, or even much fui'ther, we 
never knew; — for to us, as we followed its outline in 



IJf SOUTHEEN PRISONS. 273 

the darkness, it seemed like a monster star in form, 
with rays situated something like a mile apart ; and, 
in our progress, we, for want of a knowledge of its 
true position, were obliged to trace each ray sepa- 
rately, so as to keep near the main body and not lose 
our course. 

We had encountered the swamj) at about ten 
o'clock, and it was now two ; we had thus far made 
no actual progress, and, halting for a few minutes to 
recover our breath, we prepared for another assault, 
at a point which seemed to be easily carried. We 
successfully beat down the tall reeds which were 
placed as a close body of skirmishers uj)on the front, 
and sharply attacked the main works. But we were 
here met with a strong line of briers, so firmly inter- 
woven that we were forced to retreat, jafter each of 
us had been severely wounded. Satisfied that a close 
engagement was no longer practicable, we returned 
to our old tactics and proceeded to flank the enemy, 
which we did triumphantly just as morning began to 
dawn. We had traveled twenty miles, in the swamp 
and out, since ten o'clock. It is needless to add that 
we were completely jaded ; it was the hardest night's 
work upon our trip, for the bushes were wet with the 
heavy shower that fell in the early part of the even- 
ing, and when we struck a field, the mud adhered 
closely to our shoes, compelling us to carry a mass 



2V4 rOUETEEN MONTHS 

of earth, in addition to our own weight, that made it 
very tiresome, to say the least. We had not seen a 
road for the last twenty miles ; and we began to feel 
apprehensive that we had become lost in a wilder- 
ness of morass and cornfields. 

We sought the friendly shelter of a piece of tim- 
ber which was situated upon a slight rise of ground, 
and from it we could overlook the monster swamp 
which had'proved so inimical to our progress ; when 
the consoling fact was revealed that, if we had turned 
a short distance to the right, on our first encounter- 
ing it, instead of taking the left, we could easily have 
crossed without going much out of our course. In 
fact, we had strick it near its northern limit, and had 
passed almost around it in the darkness. So we be- 
took ourselves to the wet leaves and waited patiently 
for the sun to rise and dry our clothes and our bed. 
Our larder contained the remains of the corn bread 
we had brought with us from the prison, but it Avas 
wet and sour ; we made the most of it, however, 
rather than to fast, and rested as best we might. Dur- 
ing the day, we were visited by a member of the por- 
cine tribe, that grunted his *' good morning " to us, 
and after a short inspection, departed with a satisfac- 
tory " all right." The voices of the blacks informed 
us that we were but a short distance from a dwelling, 
and soon we heard one of them praying a little dis- 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 275 

tance off. These sounds admonished us that we must 
remain very quiet in our hiding place ; which we did 
until night. 

As usual, we had marked out our course for the 
night's march, and when darkness came, we set out 
again, much refreshed from our fatigue, but nearly 
famished. The route lay through interminable corn- 
fields, on each alterft'ate row of which j)eas were 
growing. The growth of these was remarkable, noth- 
ing in the North that we had ever seen, equalled their 
luxuriance. It was impossible to believe that our 
scant rations of these two articles was caused by a 
scarcity, as we had been so often told at Anderson- 
ville ; every plat of arable land, whether large or 
small, was carefully planted with these kinds of food. 
In all the lowlands through which we passed, we 
found a system of drainage. These drains, as nearly 
as we could judge in the darkness, were from ten to 
twelve feet in width, and from eight to ten in depth ; 
where the land was very low, there would often be 
three or four of these drains in the distance of half a 
mile, running parallel with each other. In many of 
them, the water was six feet in depth, while in others, 
it was not more than eighteen or twenty inches. On 
either bank was a heavy growth of blackberry vines, 
forming a perfect hedge, sometimes growing over the 
ditch, so as nearly to meet in the center. As our 



276 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

route lay in a direct line, we often found great diffi- 
culty in crossing these ; the briers had to be pulled 
apart and trampled upon ; the steep side of the ditch 
to be clambered down ; the water to be waded 
through or swam over ; and when the opposite side 
was reached, it could be climbed up only by pulling 
upon the vines growing there ; while the darkness 
added greatly to the difficulties otf the passage. The 
briers tore our clothing badly, and scratched our 
hands and faces, leaving wounds that did not heal 
for weeks. We had traveled but a short distance 
through the fields, before we came to a well-trodden 
road, the first we had seen for nearly two days, which 
from its appearance of being much used, and having 
an East and West course, we concluded must lead 
to Columbus ; we thought it best, for this reason, to 
avoid it as much as possible, and therefore, crossed 
over into the adjacent fields where we found a patch 
of ripe sweet potatoes, to which we helped ourselves 
with the freedom of proprietors, and went on. 

It was now eleven o'clock by the stars, and we 
had traveled thus far undisturbed. To vary the still- 
ness of the tramp, three of those terrible blood-hounds 
suddenly set up a fearful howling, a few rods ahead 
of us, in the road, by the side of which we were walk- 
ing. We sprang ofiT to the left, to give them a wider 
berth, but the farther we advanced, the louder they 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. '277 

barked ; when quite near them we found ourselves 
in the vicinity of a large pond, which stretched quite 
out of sight both to the right and left. Following 
along its edge to the left for a couple of miles and 
finding no place to cross, we retraced our steps to the 
point where we met the dogs. Though they were 
still baying, they had passed back a half a mile or 
more, and we ventured to cross the water upon the 
lopg bridge which spanned it at this point. We 
carefully scrutinized each turn and bend, each corner 
and shadow, lest some lurking foe might intercept 
and seize us, for we anticipated that rebel pickets 
might be stationed here, to apprehend runaways from 
their own lines. Nothing, however, occurred to dis- 
turb us, either while crossing the bridge, or while 
passing through the silent village that stood at the 
farther end of it. 

The remainder of this night was passed much in 
the usual way; the dogs didnot alarm us again, (they 
had already cost us four good miles of extra travel) 
and we hurried on, over the accustomed number of 
hills, fields, ravines and drains. Late in the night 
we were fortunate in finding an apple orchard, where 
we filled the space in our pockets and haversacks, 
left by the sweet potatoes and sugar cane, which we 
had likewise picked up in our route. We sought 
shelter for the day on a rocky hill which rose high 



278 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

above the surrounding eminences, and had the ap- 
pearance of being seldom visited. Its summit was 
covered with loose chestnut leaves which were lying 
upon the ground to the depth of several inches, of- 
fording a fine and warm place for rest ; and from it 
we had an excellent view of the surrounding country 
for a great distance on either hand. We spent the 
long day very agreeably, dividing our time between 
munching our raw potatoes, apples and sugar cane, 
discussing the i^rospect befoi-e us and the difficulties 
we had already overcome, and taking a needful 
amount of rest. Our map was carefully examined, 
and our locality ascertained as nearly as might be ; 
we had kept a full and correct record of our course 
from the start, and estimated the distance we had 
traveled as accurately as we could; we judged our- 
selves to be in the vicinity of the railroad running from 
Columbus to Fort Valley, and made, in our calcula- 
tions for the night's march, all preparations for cross- 
ing it. » 

Our journey was again through fields and timber 
land. We passed the residences of many wealthy 
planters, whose surroundings were pervaded by an 
air of opulence and luxury. Large groves of vari- 
ous species of trees, were spread out in their front, 
affording a grateful shade, in the fierce heat of the 
climate. The " servant's quarters," were usually 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 279 

arranged in lines around the main building ; and on 
many plantations were various kinds of shops, a grist- 
mill, and a church, the whole resembling a small 
village. In passing these houses we were invariably 
assailed by the dogs, which we tried to avoid by 
making a circuit of greater or less extent. Some- 
times, however, we drew near together and pushed 
boldly past them, being careful to do nothing to ir- 
ritate them against us. About midnight we entered 
a forest of pine, in which we continued until morning. 
We chose our resting place for the day beneath a 
giant pine, where we remained till night undisturbed 
excej)t by a flock of quails that visited us. 

At the usual signal, we resumed our march. The 
greater part of the night was spent in getting clear of 
the forest, and though we occasionally crossed a wag- 
on track, we saw no signs of cultivated land. It was a 
matter of much wonder to us, that we did not find 
the railroad, for if our distances had been correctly 
estimated, we must be very near it. Towards morn- 
ing we heard the loud roar of a heavy body of water, 
and turninjx in the direction from which it seemed to 
proceed, we soon came to a high mill dam, over 
which a torrent of water was rushing, and crossed 
the stream on a foot bridge of hewn timbers. We 
had scarcely reached the opposite side when the wel- 
come sound of the locomotive whistle, assured us 



280 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

that we were traveling in the right direction, and 
were near our journey's end. With light spirits we 
bounded forward, and after walking about two miles 
we discovered the track, at a point which we judged 
to be near a station, because of the numerous forsak- 
en, dilapidated shanties, which we found there. We 
now desired to discover a mile-post, to learn how far 
we were from Columbus, as that would give us our 
exact latitude and longitude, and enable us to per- 
fect our plans for the remainder of our flight. We 
accordingly continued upon the tvack for the dis- 
tance of two miles or more, searcliing for the post, 
but without success ; for as we afterwards learned, 
the mile posts upon this road, (an exception to the 
general rule, upon Southern railroads) were placed 
away from the track, and near the fence. Daylight 
again appearing admonished us that we must aban- 
don the open country and seek security in some more 
retired spot. We found a favorable locality in a 
patch of "hog brakes " and low bushes, and passed 
the long day without food. 

We had been so long in reaching the railroad, 
that we thought our course hitherto had been too far 
West ; so when the hour for starting came, we took 
a line due North. Our first experience was in a 
piece of thick woods, in which the darkness of a dun- 
geon reigned ; no sooner were these passed than we 



IX SOUTHERN PRISONS. 281 

(juteicMl Ji hedge of cane })rakeH, growing so compact- 
ly and so interlaced togetli(;r, Iik(; a strong net work, 
tliat we could penetrate it only by exerting all our 
strength ; tliese overcome, we next encountered a 
river which was easily forded, then another hedge, 
tlicTi low timber land. The night was exceedingly 
dark and we were in danger of losing our way, be- 
cause we could not consult tlie compass ; but we 
(taugkt a couple of lightning l>ugs, (being without 
matches) and these being confined in the box, and 
touched up as occasion required, aiforded sufficient 
light to disclose the needle. It was necessary to 
refer to the coni])ass at nearly every step, while we 
were in the woods, or any other dark passage, lest 
we should change our course ; many times, five min- 
utes after having entered the darkness, in an exactly 
North direction, on consulting our guide, we have 
found ourselves going exactly South. The same re- 
sult will follow^, if one attempts to walk blindfold to 
a distant object. In fact, the compass was our sole 
reliance uj)on our entire journey ; for without it we 
must have inquired our way or have been lost, either 
of wdiich events would surely have occasioned our 
recapture. 

The river made several short turns at this point, 
of which fact we were of course unaware, at the time, 
and foUowingthe compass in a straight line, we were 
19 



282 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

compelled to cross it three times in as many miles. 
The second j^assage was effected npon a log lying 
about a foot under the water which was fortunately 
found to extend nearly to the farther side of the 
stream. The third, however, presented a greater 
difficulty. The stream was too deep to be forded, 
and too wide for any but exj^erts to attempt to cross 
by swimming. Luckily a grape vine which had 
grown up into a tree, on the opposite side of the 
river, was within reach ; this we seized and cut off, so 
that it would swing clear of the water. It being about 
three-fourths of an inch in thickness, was easily 
climbed, hand over hand like a rope. I was the 
leader of the party, for that night, and it devolved 
upon me to make the first trial of our novel suspen- 
sion bridge. Ascending it rapidly until my feet 
would be above the water, as I passed over it, I com- 
menced oscillating like a pendulum, until I had 
gained sufficient momentum to carry me over, to the 
tree, when clenching its trunk with my legs, I slid 
down safely to the ground. I then threw the grape 
vine back to my companions, who each followed suc- 
cessfully. This was our "bad place;" and after 
resting a few minutes, to recover our breath, we re- 
sumed our journey with no farther adventures for that 
night. 

The next night's march was much like the otherf^^ 



m SOUTHERK pmsoNs. 283 

and being accomplished, we sought concealment. 
We had hardly awakened from our first brief nap, 
when the noise of some one splitting timber and the 
rumbling of wagons, announced that we were very 
insecure. We kept our place till afternoon, when 
Hudson and myself lay down to sleep. Scarcely had 
I become unconscious, when I was aroused by a 
twitch of my blouse by Mr. Beach, who was standing 
sentinel, and springing suddenly to my feet, I saw 
two small boys, accompanied by a large, fierce look- 
ing dog, passing on a little foot path, directly in Iront 
of us. The dog attracted by the scent, made toward 
the spot where we were crouching, barking furiously. 
The situation was dubious, for a moment ; for the 
bristling mane of the beast and his savage growl 
evinced hostile intentions. We did not, on the whole, 
so much fear his bite as his bark ; for we could de- 
fend ourselves against the one, with our^^ stout oak 
cudgels, but if the other attracted the boy's atten- 
tion to us, they would alarm others, and we should 
be discovered. Fortunatly, as we raised our clubs 
to ward off any attack, he might be disposed to make, 
the boys whistled to him, when, dropping his tail as 
if he was aware that he had made a mistake and was 
ashamed of himself, he ran away. It was an exceed- 
ingly narrow escape, for if the boys had advanced a 
half a dozen yards towards us, we must have been 



284 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

discovered. As soon as they were out of sight, we 
proceeded to change our base with great rapidity. 
We heard them return a few hours afterwards, but 
escaped their observation. 

It was now Thursday, and we had been on our 
route just one week; our success thus fur had been 
all we had reason to expect, while our prospects of 
ultimately reaching our lines in safety, were bright 
and promising. With cheerful hearts we pursued 
our way, as soon as the gathering darkness afforded 
protection. Our course during the early part of the 
evening, was through ravines, over steep, rocky 
ridges, where we were in constant danger of tumbles 
and bruises, from stepping upon the loose cobble stones 
that abounded, and through forests and fields. Com- 
ing suddenly to the terminus of one of these long 
ridges, on the top of which we had traveled for the 
matter of ten miles or more, we saw a broad belt, 
like silver, stretching far away in our front, and 
winding gracefully around the base of the ridge, to 
the right. Xo river had been set down at this point 
in our calculations, and it was, therefore, a matter of 
no little surmise, what stream it could be. Descend- 
ing the hill, and examining the river, we found that 
its course was Southeasterly ; while from its size we 
judged it to be the Flint, which we supposed was far 
to the East of us* Our first thought was to follow it 



IX SOUTHERN PRISONS. 285 

Up, until we came to a ford, but in the attempt, we 
discovered that we should be obliged to cross so 
many tributaries, if we continued, that it would be 
better to eifect a passage of the one stream, and have 
done with it, than to be compelled to wade through 
so many. We accordingly made search for a shal- 
low place through which we could safely wade ; but 
findiHg none, we abandoned that jDlan also, and turn- 
ing back from the river, struck off to the Northwest 
farther inland, in the direction, as nearly as we could 
make out, of Newnan, on the Atlanta and Mont- 
gomery Railroad. Xo new adventure worthy of nar- 
ration, occurred to us, during the night, and we 
passed the following day upon a high i-idge, over- 
looking the country for miles on either hand ; from 
which, also, we caught sight of the steeples and chim- 
neys of Greenville. 

The sun being out of sight, we proceeded, in the 
usual order, on the left of the road, — which we had 
abandoned late the night before, on account of a fu- 
rious assault of the dogs, — with the vicA^ of flanking 
the dwelling, which they protected ; which piece of 
strategy being victoriously effected, after spending 
an hour in attempting to ford a stream that was not 
fordable, and to get over a swamp that could not be 
got over, and in coming back to our original base, — 
we reached the road. Scarcely had we settled into 



286 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

. a walk, when two nieu were discovered a few rods 
ahead, apiDroaching ns. We bounded over the fence 
and waited until they passed by; returning again, 
we were startled by the baying of a hound in pursuit 
of something, cheered on by its master with his horn. 
This circumstance, together with the fact that the 
road was beaten Avith much travel, warned us that 
the better policy was to abandon the highway en- 
tirely. Acting upon this hint, we struck off into the 
fields, traveling over the accustomed variety of 
ground. Rain commencing to fall about midnight, 
rather than continue exposed to it, we turned into an 
old log building, that had been used for storing cot- 
ton, where we remained until daylight, changing our 
quarters at that time, lest they might be visited dur- 
ing the day. Striking into a thicket on one side of 
us, a chestnut tree was discovered, upon which was 
a grape vine, whose clus,ters of rich, ripe fruit, tempt- 
ed us to halt. Gathering our hats full of the grapes, 
we hurried through the thicket to avoid some boys 
that were playing in the cotton field we had just left, 
and finally stopped upon the bank of a beautiful 
stream of clear water. Here Beach and Hudson 
threw themselves upon the ground and were soon 
lost in sleep, while I stood sentry over them. The 
boys were approaching nearer and nearer to us, in 
their play in the ggtton field, and had already passed 



IN SUUTUEKN PKISONS. 287 

over the ground we had occupied but a few minutes 
before. I was intently watching their motions, fear- 
ful that they would make their appearance on our 
side of the thicket and discover us, when I suddenly 
heard the crackling of twigs behind me. Turning 
quickly round and seeing nothing, I supposed it to 
be a pig making his way to the brook for water, and 
returned to my observation of the boys. Presently 
the crackling in the thicket grew louder, and upon 
looking again, I saw to my great terror, an old negro 
coming directly towards us. My first impulse was 
to rouse my companions and flee ; but as the intru- 
der was not more than a hundred yards from us, and 
would certainly discover us if we moved, I deter- 
mined to wait till he came up, and throw myself upon 
his good nature. With a feeling of horrible curiosity, 
I watched his approach, speculating upon how near 
he would come before discovering us ; whether he 
would be frightened when he saw us; whether he 
would run back and report his discovery, at the plan- 
tation, or whether he would not be so intent upon his 
pursuit (he was angling) as to pass us without obser- 
vation. I even counted the number of steps he took 
forward, and calculated with eager curiosity, how 
many more he would have to make, before reaching 
us ; and it seemed hours that I stood there with my 
gaze fixed upon him. He came within fifteen yards. 



288 FOlfRTEEN MOXTHS 

before he saw me, and when he raised his eyes and 
I knew that I stood revealed before him, all my fear 
was gone, and in its place wai^ as strong a feeling to 
conciliate him and make him our friend. This I pro- 
ceeded at once to do, and found it an easier matter 
than I had hoped. I gave him as vivid an account 
of our treatment at Andersonville as I was able, and 
then rapidly sketched the perils of our escape. His 
sym23athies were strongly enlisted in our behalf, and 
he volunteered us all tlie aid in his power to render. 
Feeling sure that he might be of service to us, I then 
aroused my comrades, when we learned from him the 
situation of aflairs in our front, which, as it afterwards 
proved, was entirely accurate. 

Three days before, there was a force of one thous- 
and men encamped a mile and a half from where we 
were resting, which had since moved East ; Hood's 
whole army was, at that time, stationed near Griffin, 
East of the Flint river, and was probably there still ; 
we were on the direct road to Atlanta, by way of 
Newnan, to which latter place it was nineteen miles ; 
our best and shortest route to Atlanta, was the one 
we were then upon. After giving these particulars, 
the negro told us that his master, formerly a Colonel 
in the rebel service, had been killed in the battle of 
Kenesaw mountain, and that his mistress was desti- 
tute of nearly all kinds of provisions, for which reason 



IX SOUTHERN PRISONS. 289 

he could not answer our urgent appeal for food. 
Having wished us success, Sind promising to reveal 
our presence to no one, he passed on down the stream ; 
as soon as he was fairly out of sight, we moved three 
miles farther back into the woods, as a precaution 
against being informed against, where we remained 
unmolested until night. 

We pushed forward after sunset, calculating to 
reach Newnan in two nights, if the difficulties of the 
journey were not greater than usual. Coming sud- 
denly upon a stream in the midst of a piece of timber 
land, we were forced to strip ourselves and ford it ; 
narrowly escaping drowning, for the water was over 
our heads, we finally reached the opjDosite side in 
safety, only to encounter new difficulties and dan- 
gers. The late rains had swollen the streams, which 
had laid the surrounding country under water, or 
converted it into one vast slough ; the mud and water 
were " awful," in the strongest sense of that term, 
and with the darkness, made the scene absolutely 
appalling. There was, however, but one way out of 
it, and that was straight forward. Plunging on then 
in our course, we floundered through the mud, scram- 
bling about in the darkness, with the compass and 
lightning bugs as our only guides, for several hours, 
until by dint of hard labor, we reached a highway, 
pointed out to us by our colored friend. This gained. 



290 • FOt^RTEEN MONTHS 

our progress for the remainder of the night was as 
rapid as it had formerly been sIoav, and Avhen day 
dawned, we sought our usual refuge in the Avoods, 
where we remained secure till dark. 

Striking out at the accustomed hour, we reached 
the road we had abandoned in the morning, and 
pursued our journey in safety upon it for a long dis- 
tance. We came at length to a point where a second 
road crossed the one we were pursuing in an oblique 
direction, and we were extremely puzzled which of 
them to follow up. Selecting the one which appeared 
the most eligible, we advanced upon it, and were led 
directly into the grounds of a wealthy planter, where 
the track abruptly terminated. There was no other 
solution of the difficulty, we now found ourselves in, 
than to retrace our steps to the highway we had left, 
w^hich wc proceeded to do. With this little delay, 
we pushed on rapidly for the railroad, which runs 
from Atlanta to Montgomer}^, and reached it at one 
o'clock the next morning. Passing up the road a 
short distance, we found a mile j^ost, by which we 
learned that Ave Avere forty-one miles from Atlanta 
and forty-five from West Point. Our feelings on 
making this discoA^ery can be better imagined than 
described; tAVO nights more — and Ave should be safe- 
ly lodged AA^th our friends; our trials and labors 
Avould be over ; the liberty Ave had sought, through 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 291 

KG many hardships and dangers, would be gained. 
But, as it proved, our perils were not yet over. 

We marched on with light hearts and firm tread, 
Hudson in the van, Beach in the center, while I 
brought up the rear. It was agreed that whenever 
the leader came to a switch, he should halt and wait 
till we all came up ; when, as the switch was pretty 
sure evidence of a station near by, we were to flank 
the place, either to the right or left as circumstances 
might indicate for the best. We saw many of the 
effects of McCook's recent cavalry raid upon the rail- 
road, and inferred from the fresh earth in the fills, 
and the number of new ties, that he had damaged 
the rebels considerably. Two long side tracks were 
soon met with, but Hudson, either not noticing them, 
or led by a spirit of recklessness, passed on rapidly; 
we dared not shout to him to call him back, and fol- 
lowed on with great caution. As soon as we reached 
the station, a dog flew out at Hudson, barking furi- 
ously, and while we were yet abreast the platform, a 
man, aroused by the barking of the dog, jumped to 
his feet. We kept on as fast as we could, concluding 
that we had fallen upon a difficulty, that could best 
be solved by putting on a bold face and resolutely 
proceeding. When I reached the platform, the dog 
sprang for me, but, as I raised my club to smite him, 
the man on the platform called him off*. Scarcely 



292 rOUETEEN MONTHS 

was tliis danger jiassed, when we came upon a fresh 
one, in the form of a rebel soldier, who was sitting 
on one of the rails of the track, with two canteens 
swung from his shoulder. He saluted Hudson and 
asked him, " where we all's gwain "; to which the reply 
was, that we were going a short distance up to see 
our friends, before Sherman advanced. When I 
came up he i^ropounded the same question to me, to 
which I replied like Hudson. Thanks to his bibula- 
tory taste, he did not prosecute his inquiries further ; 
and as we did not incline to make an intimate ac- 
quaintance with him, we hurried on, with increased 
faith in army whiskey. It was evident that no trains 
ran on this road, for the reason that the track be- 
tween the rails was filled with thick mud, washed 
upon it by the heavy rains, and there were no marks 
such as would have been made by the flanges, if the 
car wheels had passed over it; from M'hicli we also 
drew the inference that no considerable army could 
be stationed further up on the road, because, if such 
had been the case, it would have been employed to 
transport supplies. 

Hudson's blundering through the place, in the 
manner he did, although it led to no disaster, ren- 
dered us somewhat timid of his leadership; and by 
common consent I took the van, as I thought I could 
see objects which neither of the others noticed. Ev- 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 293 

eiy mile was now bringing us nearer Atlanta, and it 
is safe to assert that the ^' grass did not grow under 
our feet." Some three or four miles from Newnan, 
in the direction of Atlanta, where we encountered 
the "inebriated soldier," there is a deep cut, curving 
round to the left, nearly three-fourths of a mile in 
length, with banks so high and steep that it is next 
to impossible to ascend them. It occured to me, on 
entering this cut, that it would be a bad place to be 
caught in, and I took every j^recaution against that 
event. When nearly through the pass, I imagined 
that I saw picket fires, a little on one side of the track, 
reflected upon tlie clouds; at the same instant T 
caught sight of what appeared to be some object 
moving directly toward us. Not wishing to give a 
false alarm, or turn back a half a mile or more, with- 
out a certainty of the necessity for doing so, I lay 
down by the track, in such a position as to get the 
object between me and the light, when the figure of 
a man was plainly to be perceived, approaching us. 
I turned back as quickly as possible, and whispered 
my discovery to my companions, when we retreated 
upon a double-quick out of the cut. As soon as we 
were fjiirly out, we sprang over the railroad fence, 
and waited further developments. Nothing more 
occurring, we marched on in the fields by the 
Hide of the railroad, until Hudson, becoming disgust- 



294 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

ed with the tall, wet grass and weeds, which made 
the walking disagreeable enough, and complaining 
of our childish fears, we finally told him to lead on, 
and we would follow him. He did so, making direct 
for the railroad again; we came in sight of it, after 
struggling through swamp, briers and thicket, at a 
point where there was a heavy fill. Following Hud- 
son through the last patch of briers, I looked up to- 
wards the railroad, where I saw two soldiers, with 
fixed bayonets, walking rapidly in the direction of 
Atlanta; we had been recognized as we passed 
through Xewnan, and they were in pursuit of us, for- 
tunately missing us on account of our having been 
frightened from the railroad by the supposed picket 
fire. I whispered Hudson, who had not then seen 
them, but could not make him hear me, when I sprang 
forward, and, touching him with my cane, pointed 
them out to him. He was perfectly satisfied that it 
was no longer safe to travel uj)on the railroad that 
night, and consented to leave it for the present, keep- 
ing well to the left of the track, though near enough 
to it to hear a train if one chanced to pass. We soon 
struck into a body of woods, when, as it was near 
morning, we concluded to stop and await the coming 
night. The negroes in the adjacent fields kept uj^ a 
continual chattering during the entire day ; and the 
crowing of the cocks, which seemed like notes of tri- 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 295 

amph and omens of success, cheered ns in our sol- 
itude. 

The day was dark and rainy, and about three 
o'clock in the afternoon we ventured to move forward 
under the shelter of the woods, in a line parallel with 
the railroad. For some distance we continued in 
this manner, but the woods gradually becoming thin- 
ner, we could remain in them no longer, except by 
crossing the railroad. Carefully reconnoitering the 
road, and finding it quite clear of anything human, 
we skulked across it, into the woods beyond; here 
we came upon a highway, and were about to hurry 
over it, when we heard a swift galloping, as of a 
large body of horse, rapidly increasing in loudness as 
the troop neared us. We lost no time in retreating 
under the bushes, where we watched the animals' 
legs until the whole number had passed, when we 
crossed the road and continued forward until we 
came to an open field, where, for prudential reasons, 
we halted until darkness should render a further ad- 
vance secure. It was now the 20th of September, 
and the moon did not rise till near eleven o'clock ; 
if it should continue cloudy and misty as it now was, 
the darkness would be so great as to render traveling 
in the early part of the evening, until the moon rose, 
almost impossible. We were in the midst, or at least 



296 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

ill the iiiimeJiate vicinity of, a body of soldiers, but 
Avhether they were our friends, or our enemies, we 
couhl not determine. When it finallv became dark, 
we again set out, keeping close together, to avoid 
being separated in the darkness, and near to the 
railroad fence, to avoid losing our course. The ditH- 
culties and dangers seemed to increase at every step, 
while, witli incredible labor, we were making almost 
no progress. AVo therefore lay by under a pine tree 
and slept, until the moon sliould rise. Fortunately, 
we awoke just as it was coming up, so that no time 
was lost, and started at once. AVe were successful 
in very soon linding a road, wliich had the same gen- 
eral direction as the railroad, crossing and re-crossing 
it at many points ; this we followed for a considerable 
distance, when, becoming satisfied that by keeping 
sti'aight on upon the railroad we sliould be quite as 
secure, and at the same time save much needless 
walking, we took the track, and learned from a mile 
post that by rail it was 26 miles to Atlanta. Before 
leaving the highway, however, the signs of the pres- 
ence of an army had continued to increase. Before 
the door of one farm house, past which we traveled, 
a carriage and horses were drawn up, and the build- 
ing was brilliantly lighted, as if some important per- 
sonage were present; in the corners of the fences 



IS BOUTIIKRX PRIHONH. 297 

ward iourid Ijalf* iMxUm corn cob« and bitH of Hugar 
(;an(;, evincing tJiat cavalry HcoutH had been there 
hut a nljort time Ix-Sont. 

I'hcHC thingH made uh watchful, and wc proceeded 
with the utraoHt caution, inspecting i-.vcj-y HUMpicious 
object, and listening to every Hound. Scarcely had 
we reached the railroad, when tfie leader dlHCOvered a 
man upon the track, approaching u.s ; we sprang out 
of the Kliglit cut we were in at the time, leaped over 
the fence, and crouching upon the ground in a corner, 
awaited the result. The man came to where we left 
th(; tra(;k, halted and looked carefully around him; 
it was a moment of terrible suspense, for he had cer- 
tainly had an indistinct vision of uh, and we lay m 
perfect silence, even holding our breath, determined 
that we would not be recaptured, unless overpower- 
ed by numbers. 'J'hinking he had been deceived he 
passed on, much to our relief; but we had seen 
enough of him to know that he was a rebel infantry 
soldier, and that if there; were cavalry still in our 
rieighborhood, they must belong to the rebels, also. 
We presently had an opportunity to test the accur- 
acy of this opinion; for scarcely had the soldier 
passed us, when the clattering of horses feet an- 
riounc(;d that a cavali'y ibrce was upon uh. Jfugging 
the ground still closer, we saw at once, as they hur- 
ried by, that it was genuine sccesh, being mounted 
20 



298 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

partly on mules and partly on horses, and armed 
with carbines, shot guns and pistols. The rear 
man said to the others as he passed us, " the Yanks 
will soon be along," and we fervently hoped that he 
spoke the truth. Hudson, thinking they all had gone by, 
commenced climbing over the fence, when we whose 
ears were sharper than his, whispered to him to 
wait a moment, as we thought we heard another 
horse coming, but he did not heed us and had scarcely 
reached the ground when the last horse came thun- 
dering by. Luckily he crawled into the dark fence 
corner and escaped observation. "We were now 
more fully satisfied that traveling longer in the road 
was unsafe, as it rendered us liable at any moment 
to be discovered and recaptured ; it was evident to 
us that the men we had seen were scouts, watching 
Sherman's advance, and that they were picketed 
upon every road. We tramped on again, across the 
fields, past a cotton gin and through a drove of cattle 
feeding in a field of corn. Ascending a hill scarcely 
a mile from the raiboad, a long row of camp fires, 
stretching far oflT to the front and right, met our 
astonished eyes. Keeping on to the left to avoid 
them, we saw in the red light, wedge tents with men 
standing before them, and picket fires with others 
walking around among them. It was so near day, 
that the teamsters were beginning to search for their 



IN SOUTHEEN PRISONS. 299 

mules, which had been turned loose to pick up their 
rations for the night. Finding no convenient place 
of concealment at hand, we continued walking much 
longer than we intended, and finally took up our 
day's lodgings in the leafy top of a tall oak tree, 
which was lying prostrate upon the ground. The 
air was filled with a cold mist all day, and our posi- 
tion was one of great discomfort, but we solaced our- 
selves-with the thought that we were but a few miles 
from Atlanta and freedom, and that with so great a 
boon so nearly within our grasp, we could afford even 
greater inconveniences for the present. We were 
so near our lines that with ordinary success, we 
could reach them in another night, or at any rate, we 
should be so far on our way, that we could travel 
the next day, without fear of being apprehended. So 
we clung to the protecting limbs of our^old friend, 
without repining. 

A number of infantry and cavalry marched directly 
past our hiding place, and musketry firing was heard 
at irregular intei-vals, during the entire day ;— per- 
haps for the purpose of frightening any stragglers, 
who might be skulking in the thickets, to evade duty- 
The bullets whizzed past us, as we lay concealed, 
but did not frighten us particularly, as we had fre- 
quently heard them before. We were, however, 
obliged to keep unusually quiet, and were not mo- 



300 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

lested. At night we crept out from our position and 
proceeded on our way, keeping well to our left ; 
at about eiglit o''clock, we struck into a large body of 
woods, in which we kept for a long time. We trav- 
eled swiftly, stopping occasionally to listen to the 
snorting of the horses, that were passing upon the 
road, a short distance from us; when we came sud- 
denly upon an open spot, in the timber, where the 
low shrubs and small trees had been cleared away. 
Here we were alarmed by the sound of horses, eating 
corn in the ear. It was about ten o'clock ; the dark- 
ness was almost blinding; we could see nothing 
definitely, but the objects picketed in irregular lines 
revealed themselves by being darker than the open 
sky beyond; and by the noise of their eating we 
knew yhat they were. We traveled a long distance 
along that line, to find a passage through, and it 
seemed as if a whole corps of cavah-y were encamped 
in that place. At last, after much patient search, we 
found a path, which, being well trodden, looked in 
the surrounding blackness, like a strip of white cloth 
stretched upon the ground ; and walking on tiptoe 
upon it, we passed successfully through the line, 
without waiting to satisfy our curiosity, as to whether 
the riders of the horses were on the ground or not ; 
neither did we consider it safe to stop and inquire, 
whether the force belonged to C. S. A. or U. S., 



IN SOUTHERN PKISONS. JiOl 

although for all that we knew, they were Unionists. A 
short distance from us, on the road, were heavily loaded 
wagons, truckling along in either direction; striking 
raj^idly across the road into an open field, we found 
where a train had been 2:>arked the night before. 
With all these indications of the presence of an army 
in our neighborhood, we could do nothing but pro- 
ceed slowly, with every faculty strained to its utmost 
to detect any movement, hostile to our enterprise. 

We soon came upon a creek, whose waters, upon 
examination, we found to flow West; this was the 
first instance of a Westerly course we had discov- 
ered, in any stream, and we were rejoiced to find 
ourselves so near the Chattahoochie, into which the 
creek must empty. Crossing it, we came into a patch 
of sweet potatoes, with which we made haste to fill 
our haversacks, in the expectation that the next time 
they were filled, it would be at the expense of our 
worthy Uncle. Passing on, we entered another body 
of woods, having traveled some three miles since 
passing through the cavalry force; here, about twelve 
o'clock, we ran into the infantry picket line; as soon 
as we discovered the picket walking his beat, we care- 
fully crept back, thinking by keeping well to the 
right, we could flank the force. Moving, therefore, 
a considerable distance in our new direction, we 
again sought a i:)assage through ; but the same line 



302 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

of pickets confronted us again. Judging by this time 
that we had struck their left wing, we retreated to 
our original line of march, determined to advance far 
enough to go completely around them. In pursuance 
of this change of plan, we struck a due West course, 
and traveled until daylight, when we again turned 
our faces towards Atlanta. But at every point at 
which we approached the picket line we found a heavy 
force of infantry. It had now became light, and it 
was necessary to seek concealment. While we were 
looking for it, we came in sight of the Headquarters 
and the teamsters were hunting for then* teams. A 
Lieutenant and a private passed so near us that we 
were compelled to skulk back into the woods, to 
avoid their observation. We returned a considerable 
distance before we found a retreat suflSciently secure, 
for we felt sure that we were completely surrounded 
by our enemies, and that all hope of final escape, lay 
in our avoiding discovery for one day more. We 
chose a thicket for our hiding place, and to make it 
the more secure, cut small shoots and brush, which 
we stuck into the ground around it. At ten o'clock 
an unarmed man passed within half a dozen rods of 
us, but fortunately we remained unnoticed. It then 
occurred to me that we were not safe here, for any 
one passing in that dii'ection, either in search of 
swine or on any other errand was quite likely to visit 



IN SOUTHEEN PEISONS. 303 

the spot. I thereupon proposed to my comrades to 
climb a tree, which stood near us, among whose 
thick leaves we should be less exposed. Beach coin- 
cided with me at once ; but Hudson, who was tired 
of his last night's experience in a tree top, refused to 
go with us, and remained in the old position, while 
we hastily clambered up the tree. A couple of hours 
passed in silence, when we saw two men coming 
through the woods, the one armed with a musket, the 
other with his walking stick. From our elevated po- 
sition we could distinctly overhear their conversation ; 
they were searching the woods for stray pigs, and we 
scarcely breathed while they remained in sight, fear- 
ful of making the lightest sound, to invite their at- 
tention toward us ; nor was our anxiety at all relieved 
when we saw them separate, the unarmed man going 
directly towards the thicket in which Hudson lay. 

Hope died in our bosoms as we saw him thrust his 
cane among the limbs we had so carefully arranged, 
and we felt that we were already captured. But a 
few moments elajDsed before we saw Hudson coming 
out of his hiding place, when a long conversation 
ensued, during which Hudson claimed to belong to 
the 45th Georgia Reserve, and to be making an effort 
to get home, in this manner, because he could not 
get a furlough. To the question how he came to be 



304 FUORTEEN MONTHS 

dressed in blue uniform, he replied, that lie had been 
stationed at Anderson ville, during the summer, and 
had exchanged his old clothes, with a Yankee pris- 
oner, for a full suit of new ones, giving a few veget- 
ables " to boot." The man continued to question him 
for some time, hoj^ing that some one would come 
along to arrest him; but no one coming, he finally 
went away, when Hudson came to the tree in which 
we were concealed, informed us of what had passed, 
and told us that he would seek a new hiding place, 
wherever he could find a suitable spot. This ra^p. 
told Hudson that the whole rebel army was in line of 
battle, not two hundred yards from the woods in 
which we lay. The bands at the Head Quarters and 
along the whole line, had been playing Dixie during 
the entire morning ; Ave therefore knew into whose 
hands we should fall if we were captured at that 
place, and we were not surprised to see a file of men 
armed with muskets, approach the spot where our 
comrade had been discovered but a few minutes be- 
fore. N^ot finding him, they naturally instituted a 
search among the tree tops, well knowing he could 
have escaped in no other direction. We were not 
sufiiciently concealed to avoid detection, and it re- 
quired but a brief search to espy us. They called 
upon us to surrender, and we saw at once the pro- 



IN SOUTHERN PEISONS. 305 

priety of doing so; clambering down as quickly as 
we could, we gave ourselves up without any explan- 
ation to the guard, and were immediately taken to 
the Brigade Head Quarters, to be disposed of as 
seemed best to the powers at that place. 



CHAPTER IX. 

Rebel Headquarters— Opclika, Columbus and Fort Valley— Plan of 
Escape Detected— Andersonville Again— Savannah— Special Ex- 
change of 10,000 Sick— Removed to Millen— The Trison Pen— Re- 
cruiting among the Prisoners— Free. 

Our feelings, upon being re-captured, can be better 
imagined than described. We had been out just 
fourteen days and nights; had traveled 175 miles, 
through ditches, rivers, swamps and briers ; had per- 
formed incredible labor, and met with many hair- 
breadth escapes ; had been exposed to storm, cold 
and hunger; had overcome all these, and arrived 
within sight of the goal, only to be delivered up to 
our enemies, through the imprudence and obstinacy 
of one of our own number. Had we fallen into toils 
that had been set for us ; had we been captured 
through a combination of circumstances, which ordi- 
nary prudence and sagacity could not have con- 
trolled ; we should have accepted the situation, as a 
stroke of evil fortune which we could not evade. Re- 
pining, however, would effect no good in our behalf, 
and we put the best possible face upon the matter, 



308 FOTJETEElSr MONTHS 

feeling that if we were conquered, we were not sub- 
dued, and resolved to embrace the first opportunity 
for escape that presented itself. 

We were first taken to the Headquarters of Brig. 
Gen. Gibson, and sharj)ly questioned as to our object 
in being where we were found, how Ave came there, 
and where we were going. We had agreed, before 
setting out, that, if we should be captured, we would 
each tell the same story of our escape, so that, in case 
we were examined separately, our accounts would 
agree. I therefore told the General, in reply to his 
first inquiry, that we made our escape, while on the 
cars from Andersonville to Charleston. This view of 
the matter, though a flight of imagination, seemed 
best to us, even at the sacrifice of truth, for if we 
should be remanded to Andersonville, we should be 
less ex]30sed to the vengeance of Capt. WIrz, who 
esteemed his honor (in his sense of that term,) in a 
high degree compromised, if a prisoner escaped from 
him ; while he considered the offence by many de- 
grees less criminal, if made from any one else. To 
the question why we Avished to escape, we replied, 
that the sufferings, caused by starvation, sickness and 
exposure, Avhich we had been forced to undergo for 
more than a year, had impelled us to make an at- 
tempt to regain our freedom and preserve our lives. 
The General then inquired about our treatment, anc^ 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 309 

we explained it to him plainly and firmly. He did 
not relish the statement, as we made it, and, it is to 
be presmned, believed no more of it than he pleased ; 
but we " cleared our conscience," in improving the 
only probable opportunity we should ever have of 
setting the matter right before him, and felt a degree 
of relief in the performance of the duty. He replied 
that he owed the Yankee nation no favors, not even 
that -of his good will, and if he could have his own 
way in the matter, he would raise the black flag and 
take no prisoners at all; which specimen of conceited 
bluster and braggadocio, so inseparable from modern 
" chivalry," we had heard so often, that it did not 
produce the effect of frightening us, as he intended, 
but on the contrary, made us still more obstinately 
firm ; when he informed us that we were prisoners of 
war, and entitled to treatment as such. We were 
then sent to Gen. Clayton, a Division commander, 
and from him to Gen. S. D. Lee, who commanded a 
Corps. They said very little to us, except that it was 
rather hard, after we had made so desperate an effort 
to escape, to be sent back to Andersonville — a view 
remarkably consonant with ouf own — but that it was 
their duty to remand us. They further comforted us, 
by the intelligence that we were only six miles from 
Sherman's pickets, and that, if we had succeeded in 
getting two hundred yards further, we should have 



310 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

been outside of their lines. We were soon sent to 
the Provost Marshal's Office, near Hood's headquar- 
ters, where we passed the night. One of the guard 
as he walked by our side quietly informed us that 
their army was essentially beaten, — " licked all ter 
pieces," was his exj)ression, and that every private, 
as well as officer, knew it perfectly well, and that it 
was of no use to fight any longer. He stated, more- 
over, that he should desert as soon as a favorable 
opportunity for getting North should offigr, — with 
much more to the same effect. The same sentiments 
were generally expressed by the sentries who guard- 
ed us here ; whether for effect, or because they really 
felt as they said they did, we had no means of deter- 



mmmg. 



While at this place, two new prisoners were 
brought in, one of whom was an orderly on Gen. 
Kilpatrick's staff, from whom we gathered the latest 
news from Sherman's army. Hudson was also 
brought in, in a short time after our arrival; the man 
who discovered him had reported at once to Gen. 
Gibson, who immediately ordered out a regiment to 
skirmish through the woods, till he was found. At 
three o'clock on Friday afternoon, the prisoners were 
marched to Palmetto Station, where, as it proved, we 
had been forced to leave the railroad, by discovering 
a soldier upon the track; here we took the cars, 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 311 

which that day ran up from Newnan for the first time 
since McCook's raid. The depot and all the princi- 
pal buildings had been burned by that gallant raider, 
only a few weeks before, and the blackened ruins lay 
scattered around on every hand. Here, too, the 
whole of Hood's transportation train was parked, in 
readiness to march;— in fact, every thing seemed to 
indicate that a movement in force was on foot, and 
we surmised that it was Hood's intention to move 
North, and, cutting Sherman's line of communication, 
force him to retreat. At five o'clock we started for 
West Point, eighty-four miles from Atlanta, where 
we arrived at an early hour next morning. Halting 
but a short time for wood and water, we pursued our 
journey to Opeliki, Ala., and waited some four hours 
for the train to Columbus. This place showed the 
ravages of war, having received a flying visit from 
the Union cavalry, from the efiect of which it had not 
recovered. All the public buildings had been des- 
troyed, and charred remains and tall chimneys marked 
the sites where they had stood. While halting here, we 
improved the time in manufacturing various kinds of 
dishes from the tin that had been used for roofing 
the depot. A large crowd of citizens gathered around 
us, partly to talk with us, and partly to witness the 
dexterity of the "mud-sills" in changing a sheet of 
tin into a plate or a cup, with no other tools than g^ 



SI 2 POTJRTEEN MONTHS 

Stick of wood and a cobble stone. Our handicraft 
surprised them, and theii* credulity was so great, that 
there is no doubt, if we could have donned a grey 
suit, used profane language and boasted loudly, we 
should have made fortunes— in Confederate scrip— 
by converting those roofing materials into table 

ware. i 

They manifested the greatest anxiety about the j 
ensuing Presidential election; and when we told j 
them that Abraham Lincoln would probably be elec- ; 
ted, they expressed great satisfaction, because they 
beheved under his administration their leaders would , 
be unable to buy a peace, which would amount to no : 
more than an armistice at best. They wanted inde- 
pendence; if they could not get that, then subjuga- 
tion was the next best thing ; for then the questions 
which divided the two sections, would be settled, in 
a manner, from which there could be no appeal ; 
while if a compromise was made, the war would have 
been a failure, because they could have compromised 
before it commenced, and because such a termination 
would be but a cessation of hostilities, to re-com- 
mence whenever the parties might differ, in the in- 
terpretation of the compact. This view was taken 
by the " last ditch" men, who were spoiling to be 
subjugated, and they talked loudly and long in theii' 
boasting way. We did not wish to enter upon any 



IN sotthee:n^ prisons. 313 

discussion with them, but their braggadocio forced 
us to reply, after we had endured it as long as we 
could. We told them, after their own style, that we 
should subjugate them ; that if, as they boasted, every 
man of them would die, before that event was accom- 
plished, they had better take leave of their friends as 
soon as possible; for as sure as another September 

came, they would all be in a climate more intensely 

tropical than any they had yet experienced. We had 
millions of tons of iron and lead in our unworked 
mines, and thousands of thousands of men, women and 
children to work the ore into guns and bullets ; while 
powder actually grew upon the Western prairies, 
without cultivation. Our Government was running 
the armories and iron works day and night, without 
cessation, and thus far had utterly failed to supply 
guns and ammunition for the forces as fast as they 
wanted to come into the field ; there were five mil- 
lions of men, who would join the army, if they could 
only 'obtain the arms they needed. The Yankee 
throve best under difiiculties, and the philanthropists 
of the North had declared that war was their natural 
state, and advocated the policy of provoking a con- 
test with England and France, as soon as the South 
was used up, that the Yankees might have room to 
grow ; for they were sure to wither away, unless 
they could fight. The only way to stop the "effu- 
21 



314 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

sion of blood " was to withdraw their armies from the 
field, sm-render the forts, arsenals and other property 
they had stolen from us, go quietly home and obey 
the laws, like good citizens. 

Another class who conversed with us, whose first 
question was " What are all you 'uns fighting we 'uns 
forf whose education had not reached the point 
of acquiring correct use of their vernacular, but who 
nevertheless would be required to dig the * last ditch ' 
for those Avho coveted it so much, and stand a living 
wall in front of it for their protection, while in the 
article of death; was much more reasonable. They 
had. realized what war meant, and were quite willing 
to submit to the old regime, if their rights could be 
jTuaranteed to them, as they enjoyed them before the 
war. They seemed most to fear negro equality, and 
ridiculed the idea of fighting side by side with the 
darkey. Our most obvious reply to this thrust was, 
that it was much better to fight with him than run 
from him ; with which terrible sarcasm, the crowd 
abandoned the contest, and retreated. We were 
here joined by four prisoners who had made then- 
escape from Andersonville the same day we did, and 
were recaptured near West Point. There were now 
ten prisoners, in all, and we had six men to guard 



us. 



We were placed on board a passenger train and 



IN SOUTHERN- PEISONS. 355 

moved forward for Columbus, where we arrived at 
sundown. This village is situated on the East bank 
of the Chattahoochie, at the head of navigation; it 
contained several large cotton factories, and the 
dwelUngs of the operators were arranged in regular 
streets, upon the West side of the stream ; they were 
built exactly alike, and presented a fine appearance. 
Arriving at the depot we were delayed long enough 
to exohange our comfortable passenger coach for a 
box car, and halted for the night. While we were 
on the side track, Jeff. Davis and Gen. Beauregard 
passed us on a special train, the President being on a 
stumping excursion. He had just exhorted the 
"fellow citizens" of Macon and Columbus to rise and 
drive the invader from their soil, or the cause was 
lost; if they but took heart, (together with guns in 
sufficient numbers,) they would soon compel Sherman 
to beat a retreat, more disastrous than that from 
Moscow, and the " plundering hordes " would be for- 
ever expelled from their borders ;-and much more 
of the same sort. It was amusing to us, in our inter- 
course with Southern Chivalry, to hear the constant 
recurrence of the words " plundering foes," " thiev- 
ing enemies," " pillaging hordes ;" their theory of 
the war being, that it was carried on by two indepen- 
dent nations and that private property, such as stores 
ofbacon,flour,lcorn, oats, Ac, which were only in 



316 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

their owners hand, awaiting the appraisal of the Con- 
federate Quartermasters, was to be sacredly protect- 
ed against capture by us ; while on the other hand, 
in virtue of superior intelligence and purer blood, on 
their part, they were entitled to appropriate anything 
belonging to us, without returning any equivalant 
therefor, except the precious privilege of being rob- 
bed by a " chivalrous " highwayman ; from which 
view of the case we, as prisoners of war, considered 
ourselves at liberty to dissent, and also to levy upon 
them whenever an opportunity presented itself, and 
were therefore denominated "plundering hordes." 

On Sunday morning, our train left for Fort Valley, 
a point sixty-five miles from Columbus, and thirty- 
five from Andersonville. Arriving here at two o'clock 
p. M., we were transferred to a negro pen to await 
the train, which did not move till morning, to convey 
us back to the old prison. The pen Avas a small 
building with two little windows opposite each other, 
about twelve inches square, and grated with heavy 
iron bars. As we entered the building the door was 
shut and locked ; this was the first time since our 
recapture that we had been locked in, and we felt it 
incumbent upon us to eff*ect our escape, if we could. 
We decided to get through the floor by cutting away 
a board with oUr pocket knives, and then to creep 
out under the buildinor. To ascertain whether we 



IN SOUTHEllN riilSONS. 317 

could got out without digging, if wc once reached the 
ground, three or four of the boys obtained permission 
to go out to procure drinking water, and reconnoitred 
the position. It was found perfectly practicable, 
and upon their report, we immediately set to work 
cutting through the floor. It was matched pitch pine 
boards, twelve inches wide by one and a half thick, 
as hai^l as oak ; but we cut away as fast as we could, 
blistering our hands, and getting very warm, until a 
length of board sufficient for our purpose was cut at 
one end and near the wall of the room. The boys 
then conunenced dancing, shouting and rattling some 
chains that were found on the floor, making such a 
din that I could not be heard while I was prying up 
the board. We had completed our arrangements 
before dark, and to prevent attention being called to 
our project, I spread an old blanket which I had 
purchased of the guard, over the loose board, and lay 
down ujion it. 

We had received no rations since leaving Opeliki 
at which place were stationed some soldiers, 
who had been recently exchanged, and who had giv- 
en us some hard bread. At seven o'clock, the guard 
came into the pen with corn bread, which had been 
sent to us through the liberality of the surgeons of a 
Confederate hospital located at that place; a short 
time afterwards, the guards revisited us, with a re- 



318 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

quest that we sweep the tioor. To sweep the spot 
upon which I was lying would at once reveal the 
" fraud," and under a plea of sickness, I was permit- 
ted to lie still, inasmuch as I had akeady made my 
bed for the night. In the rubbish which was swept 
out, they found a case knife, belonging to Hudson, 
which had been hacked like a saw ; this excited sus- 
picion against us, and they immediately came in and 
demanded our pocket knives. Thinking it would 
pacify them, we surrendered the knives peaceably, 
upon the promise that they should be returned to us 
next morning, — and they left us. But they were 
not yet satisfied, and came in again about eight 
o'clock, and wanted to inspect the floor. I was 
obliged to get up and take up my blanket, when, of 
course, the severed board was discovered. In anoth- 
er hour we should have all been free, and as we had 
agreed to take different directions in our escape, it 
would have been impossible to retake all of us, with 
our experience in nocturnal travels. 

We had now no hope of a better fate than another 
trial of Anderson ville, and the treatment of re-cap- 
tured prisoners, in the merciless power of Capt. Wirz, 
presented itself to us, in all its terrible colors. We 
did not have much time then to think of it, for the 
guard kept firing a volley of oaths at us, for even 
attempting to escape from them. They threatened 



IX SUUTHKRN PRISONS. 319 

to shoot the iirst iiiiin that moved, and to put us all in 
irons, unless we would divulge the name of the one 
who cut the board away. They questioned each man 
separately upon this point, unsuccessfully, however, 
for there were no traitors among us. Coming to me 
last, I acknowledged that I knew who did it, but did 
not consider it my duty to inform them ; and that if 
they panted to put irons on me for it, they had the 
power to do so, but that it would add no jot or titth*. 
to their wisdom. They suspected Hudson and a man 
named Crandall, of being the guilty parties, and next 
morning put irons upon their wrists, which were not 
taken off till we reached Andersonville. This feat 
accomplished, there came a lull in the shower of pro- 
fanity, for a few minutes, when one fellow, with a 
more vivid imagination than the others, began to 
depict their consternation, if they had opened the 
door in the morning, and found the cage empty and 
the birds flown ; this was a new view of the case, and 
as the thouglit flashed upon them, their expiring an- 
ger seemed to receive a sudden and fresh stimulus 
from the contemplation, and they discharged another 
and fiercer storm of curses upon us. 

The next morning we were placed in a box car and 
forwarded to Andersonville. The car contained a 
large quantity of salt, to which we freely helped our- 
selves, filling our haversacks. We arrived at the 



320 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

station at noon, and ininiediately marched to the 
stockade. A great change had taken place here, 
since our departure, nearly all the prisoners having 
been sent away ; those that remained had a much 
improved appearance, as if they had been better 
fed. We were sent directly to head*}uarters, where, 
as good luck would have it, Capt. Wirz was sick, 
(we earnestly hoped he would never recover,) and 
Sergeant Smith received us. Four of the men who 
came with us, including Crandall, had been paroled 
to dig trenches for the dead, and were employed in 
this duty when they made their escape. Crandall had 
been on this duty for some time, before escaping, 
and when the prisoners were sent to Savannah and 
Charleston, he had asked permission to go with 
them, which Capt. Wirz had refused. He made his 
escape on the followin<^ day. These four men were 
at once ordered into the " lying down stocks," and 
the next day loaded with the ball and chain. Our 
party escaped punishment, until night, probably be- 
cause it Avas supposed that we had jumped off the 
cars, after we were beyond Capt. Wirz's jurisdiction ; 
but after sunset we were also put into the stocks, 
and passed the night in them. It was by no means 
a comfortable position to lie, with our feet twelve 
inches from the ground, but we thought ourselves 
fortunate in escaping the standing stocks, and did 



IN SOUTHEJiN PKISONB. '421 

not murmur. In the morning we were released, and 
aeeompanied by the guard to the eook liouse, where 
good rations of bread, peas and beef were issued to 
us ; they were given us, however, by the prisoners 
in eharge, and we took care to say nothing to impli- 
cate them, for we knew the punishment to whicli we 
slioukl expose them, if their sympathy witli us were 
known. After breakfast the four boys were ordered 
into the stocks again ; we expected the same atten- 
tion wouhl be paid to us, but fortnnately were over- 
looked. A train load of prisoners was to be trans- 
ferred to Savannah immediately, and we were ordered 
to fall in and go with it. The order was very readily 
obeyed, for we were satisfied that any change could 
not but be for the better, and our second experience 
of Andersonvillc was very biief. 

Our trip to Savannah was in some respects pleas- 
ant, the distance from Andersonvillc being 236 miles 
by rail. We reached that place at sundown, on the 
28th September, but were not allowed to get off the 
cars until dark, for what reason, it was unexplained. 
We were then marched to the prison south of the old 
jail, which had been built by the British ; there were 
many of the prisoners that were unable to walk, who 
were carried by the able bodied. The pen into which 
we were presently inducted, was constructed of 
planks nailed upon j^osts twelve feet in hight, set 



322 FOUETEEN MONTHS 

firmly in the ground; it was surrounded with a deep 
ditch, which had been dug after the prison was inau- 
gurated, on account of several of the first prisoners 
having escaped by tunneling, the first night they 
were confined. As at Andersonville, no shelters of 
any kind had been provided here, and we found our- 
selves exposed to sun, wind and rain, without any 
j^rotection. The water, Avhich was supplied from the 
city water works, was pure, and in sufficient quantity 
for our needs. 

At the time of our arrival, there were four or five 
thousand prisoners confined here, the greater portion 
of whom were from Andersonville. The change of 
locality had not benefited them ; in fact, except in 
the matter of water, our situation was the same as it 
had been at that place. The "camp" was under the 
command of Lieut. Davis — a man of doubt fu] valor, 
who was afterwards captured on the cars in Ohio, 
while he was carrying despatches to Canada, and 
sent to Fort Delaware. He was in comman'l at An- 
dersonville, during the sickness of Capt. Wirz, some 
time in the summer, and treated the men, at that 
time, with as much humanity as his orders would 
allow him to do; but at Savannah he endeavored to 
imitate Capt. Wirz in manner, perhaps because he 
could see promotion in no other way. 

Our rations were issued by the commissary to the 



' IN SOUTHERN PJRISONS. 323 

police — a body of prisoners organized to keep order 
in the camp — who delivered them to the sergeants of 
divisions, by whom they were divided among the 
men. They consisted of corn meal, rice, sorghum 
molasses and fresh beef, in quantities too small to 
satisfy our needs. It was evident, upon the day of 
our arrival, that the commissary department at Sav- 
annah was no more orenerous than it was at other 
places where we had been confined. 

Hudson, Beach and myself, had been unfortunate 
in not being able to find the sergeants, with whom 
we had deposited our blankets when we had made 
our escape, and we were now utterly destitute of any 
protection against the beating storms and the scorch- 
ing sun. Our clothing, some of which had been worn 
since our capture, more than twelve months before, 
was very thin, even where any of it remained; and 
in many places was completely gone. A hat, unlike 
any thing ever before known by that name, covered 
our heads in places, and our feet made vain attempts 
at concealment, in the almost soleless shoes Ave had 
not removed for weeks. Death seemed inevitable, 
and, indeed, would have been preferable, to a long 
continuance of the present treatment. To add to our 
discomfort, the police had rendered themselves 
particularly obnoxious to their fellow prisoners, by 
appropriating their rations, in the division of them ; 



324 FOUKTEEN MONTHS 

they began by abusing ns with profane taunts, with 
unnecessary orders about little matters, and, in many 
instances, ended by spurning us with their feet or 
with a blow from their cudgels. Physical chastise- 
ment, however, was confined to the helpless, — those 
who were unable to give blow for blow ; but it was 
none the less aggravating to the able bodied. We 
had no means of protection against these scoundrels, 
for, upon the first appearance of resistance, we were 
called to a strict account by the authorities. 

Though in the heart of a populous city, we were as 
much shut out from a knowledge of the scenes enact- 
ed in the busy world, as if we had been in the midst 
of the Pacific Ocean. We could distinctly hear the 
tumult of business in the neighboring streets, the 
rumbling of the cars as they passed to and fro, and 
the roar of cannon, but a short distance down the 
river, where our friends were leisurely bombarding 
something, near Fort Pulaski. If we could only es- 
cape. — One of the jjrisoners made the attempt, but 
was re-captured by the dogs, brought back and sus- 
pended by his thumbs, as a warning to the rest. The 
punishment for running away was of small conse- 
quence to us, but we feared the dogs, — those fero- 
cious blood-hounds, by which we were sure to be 
overtaken and torn in pieces, and against which we 
had no protection. The enterprise of the prisoners 



IN SOUTHERN I*RISONS. 325 

at this place took the same direction as at Anderson- 
ville, and a brisk trade was carried on in taffy, (made 
from sorghum,) in beer, and the exchange of one kind 
of ration for another. This served to relieve the ter- 
rible monotony that was killing us, by furnishing 
something to think about and by stimulating our 
mental energies into something like action. 

Day after day passed in this manner, without 
change, until the 13th of October, when a Savannah 
paper found its way into the pen ; in which it was stated 
that Maj. Mulford had just left Fortress Monroe for 
Savannah, with 10,000 rebel sick and wounded, to ex- 
change for a like number of Federals. This news was 
cheering to every one, both the well and the invalid, for 
it was horrible for the strongman to be confined side by 
side with the sick, especially when, as here, the 
morning sun would often waken him and reveal the 
comrade whom he had bidden " good night " but a 
few hours before, stretched cold and lifeless beside 
him. Lieut. Davis issued an order the same morning 
for several detachments to prepare to leave the pen 
on the following evening, but for what point, was 
mere matter of conjecture, some of the prisoners 
thinking Charleston, others Milieu, to be their des- 
tination. All the sailors had previously been sent to 
Charleston for exchange, and it had been several 
times reported that that place had been agreed upon 



326 FOUETEEN MONTHS 

as the excliaiige point. At night the train was filled 
and started. 

The next morning another train load was ordered 
to be in readiness, this time we were informed, for 
Millen. The detachments were taken out in the order 
of their entering, and, as we were among the very 
latest of the arrivals, our detachment was not inclu- 
ded in the order. Notwithstanding which, Beach 
and myself, desirous of seeing as much of the Con- 
federacy as possible, by a little strategy, succeeded 
in joining the departing column, just as it reached 
the gates, and though Lieut. Davis discovered the 
trick, he confined his wrath to a " terrible cussin, " 
for which he ought to be made famous, for he mani- 
fested more original genius in that line than even 
Capt. Wirz himself ever displayed. We were marched 
through some of the finest streets in Savannah, and 
escape from the column was easy and tempting ; but 
the swamps around the town, were a more formidable 
guard than bayonets, and no one made the attempt. 
Reaching the railroad, which runs for some distance 
into the city, we were j)laced on board a train of cat- 
tle cars, and with sixty men in each car we started, 
bidding farewell to the quiet city of Savannah, of 
whose hospitality we had partaken at the public ex- 
pense, although it had been marred somewhat by the 
constraint which had been put upon our free move- 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. S27 

ments about the town ; and to Lieut. Davis, who 
signalized his last moments of authority over us, by 
riding down upon some hel23less sick men, who were 
trying to get aboard, in his anxiety to see us safely 
on our journey. 

Starting from Savannah before sunrise, we reached 
Millen at five p. m. Although as usual upon setting 
out, we had been regaled with a direct promise of 
exchange, that ingenious bit of pleasantry on the 
part of the Confederate government had lost much of 
its merit by constant repetition ; — indeed it 
seemed as if the C. S. A. had exhausted its entire 
stock of wit in inventing that joke, for we never 
heard any other from it, — and we fully apj^reciated 
its staleness. This plum intended to insure our quiet 
removal from the prison at Savannah to the prison 
at Millen, failed in its designed office, for many of the 
boys jumped from the train while it Avas in motion, 
and although fired at by the guard, succeeded in get- 
ting away for a time. Most of them, however, were 
retaken by means of the blood-hounds and brought 
back. It was undoubtedly apiece of reckless daring 
to jump from a railroad car while in motion, especially 
under fire of a dozen or more guards, in a strange 
country, with no knowledge of its geography, and 
with no means of obtaining it, except by inquiry of 
residents, which would have been sure to lead to 



328 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

detection ; but when lite is the stake to be played for, 
there are few obstacles which men will not encounter 
to win it. Indeed death by any other method than 
suicide would have been preferable to auotlier winter's 
imprisonment in the Confederacy, and but for the 
liope of ultimate release, either by exchange or es- 
cape in a less desperate manner, the prisoners who 
were able to run would have overpowered the guard, 
seized the train and rushed upon death at once. 

We left the railroad some five miles beyond Millen 
junction, on the .Vugusta R. K., and took np our line 
of march for the prison, situated about a mile distant 
in a Southwest direction. The pen was an open 
enclosure like that at Andersonville, being built of 
unhewn timbers, set vertically in the ground ; it con- 
tained about forty acres in area, in a nearly square 
form, and through it ran a stream of clear water, 
>vhose source was a beautiful spring just outside the 
walls. A battery of eight guns was planted in a 
large fort near the Southeast corner of the pen, ar- 
ranged to rake the enclosure diagonally in case of 
insurrection among the prisoners. The stockade was 
located in the midst of a pine forest, but all the tim- 
bers within it, except a narrow strip of small trees 
near the stream, as well as those for half a mile 
beyond the walls on either hand, had been cut down. 
At the time of the arrival of our party, which formed 



IX SOUTHERN PEI80NB. <J29 

the second train load, after the pen was " inaugura- 
ted," a large quantity of timber was lying upon the 
ground, as it had been felled. The bodies of the 
trees had been cut into two or three pieces, and such 
of the logs as were fit for lumber, ?iauled away ; the 
remainder being left for the use of the prisoners. We 
lost no time in gathering the wood and carrying it to 
our quarters, and in three days the camp was pretty 
well oleared off; logs too heavy to be carried were 
rolled, and our wood piles assumed very respectable 
proportions. Those who could procure axes, split 
some of these logs into slabs, and erected quite com- 
fortable huts, which, though not models of excellence 
in architecture or neatness, were nevertheless a pro- 
tection against the inclemency of the weather. It is 
to be remembered that the majority of the prisoners 
had been in the hands of the rebels more than a year, 
and that, in all that time, no new clothes had been 
given them, except what were issued at Danville and 
Richmond, ten months previous. It was now Octo- 
ber ; the fall rains had set in ; the ground upon which 
we were compelled to lie, was saturated with water, 
often becoming a mere mud puddle; and when the 
weather was pleasant for a few days, the night air 
was charged with moisture, and the heavy dews 
completely soaked through our scanty apparel. But 
few of the men had provided themselves with huts, 
22 



330 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

for tlie reason that axes could be procured only with 
tlie greatest difficulty, the prison authorities furnish- 
ing none. Many dug holes in tlie ground, into which 
they crawled, burrowing in them, as at Anderson- 
ville. 

Our rations were two-thirds of a pint of cornmeal, 
three table spoonfuls of rice, four ounces of fresh 
beef, including bone, and a tea spoonful of salt. In 
lieu of rice, black peas, or sorghum molasses, were 
sometimes issued. A certain number of barrels of 
sorghum were allowed per week to the camp. In 
many of them, the molasses had crystali/ed and ad- 
hered to the sides and bottom of the barrel, to the 
depth of three or four inches ; this formed the most 
valuable part of the article; but Quartermaster 
Humes* would not allow the prisoners this part of 
their ration, so that our supply was often cut ofi* one- 
third from the little the Confederate government de- 
signed for us. The peas were filled with bugs, and 
at least one-half the amount allowed w^as utterly unfit 

* As nothing good can be said of this fellow, no mention was made 
of him in the account of the Andersonville prison, although he held 
the post of Quartermaster at that place. He was a Baltimorean, 
and, like all deserters, was naturally predisposed to little acts of 
meanness, of which the above is an example. He made himself 
particularly obnoxious to the prisoners by first gaining the confi' 
dence of the unsuspecting, and placing them in the stocks, in 
return. He had all the natural villainy of Capt. Wirz, without suffi- 
cient intellectual vigor to carry it out ; hence he conflned himself 
to petty annoyances and little tricks. 



IN HOVTUKliS PliJHOSH. 331 

for UHc; refining Homcwhat upoji our cookery at An- 
derHonville, we placed our ration of ])eaH in water, 
before boiling it, when those that were worm-eaten, 
rising to the surface, were Hkimmed off* and thrown 
away. 

As at camp Sumter, the hucksters soon made t?ieir 
appearance among us. Taffy, made from sorghum, 
sweet potatoes, tobacco, red pepper, thread, <fec., 
purchased from the guards, formed the chief articles 
of sale; a thriving business was also done in soup, 
and in corn and pea bread. As many of the prison- 
ers had no cooking utensils or wood for fires, the more 
enterprising often realized a double ration, by ex- 
changing the manufactured article for the raw mate- 
rial, lirick oven^ had been built, and two kettles for 
each 1,000 men set in arches; but they were never 
used for cooking, because a supply of wood for the 
purpose was never provided by the Quartermaster; 
and as the small amount obtained by the men was 
procured by private enterprige, none were willing 
to put their individual shares into a general fund, for 
cooking the rations in a mass, to which, if such a 
course had been adopted, the contributions must have 
been very unequal. 

A month's experience at " Camp Lawton," proved 
to us that our condition had been in no wise improved 
by the transfer from Andersonville. The exposure 



332 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

was rapidly thinning our numbers; our rations were 
not sufficient to support life for any extended period 
of time, under the most favorable circumstances; and 
here, where no artificial heat could be obtained, the 
blood of the strong man became torpid and refused 
to do its office. A hospital for receiving the sick was 
established in the southwest corner of the area ; but 
no shelter was provided, no blankets given those who 
occupied it, and medicines were not issued there. 
The only advantage to the sick man, in this arrange- 
ment, was that he would be certain to be found by 
the surgeons, who were examining with reference to 
the special exchange. From this hospital, those who 
were deemed unfit to stay in the stockade were trans- 
ferred to a hospital outside the pen, where they 
remained, until forwarded to the exchange point. 
Those who were not taken to the outer hospital, were 
left to roam at will through the enclosure, w^ithout 
medicine, and with no other treatment than that af- 
forded to the other prisoners. They died at an aver- 
age rate of nine per cent, per month. It was horrible 
to pass around the area at sunrise, and see the dead 
men who had expired the night before. Some of them 
had fallen upon the open space, and been unable to 
rise ; others crawled wearily to the side of a stump, 
as if to be near some object, however inanimate, when 
the last agony came upon them; some sought the 



IN SOUTHEllN ritlSONS. 333 

borders of the stream, perchance that its soft ripple 
might soothe the parting spirit, with gentle music, 
as it quitted the poor tenement which had been its 
home ; others forced themselves into the empty ovens 
and beneath the unused kettles ; while still others 
burrowed themselves more deeply into the ground, 
digging their own graves as they nestled down into 
the bofiom of Earth, for its genial waimth to shelter 
their freezing limbs from the beating storms; and 
when they were gathered up and removed for burial, 
their clenched hands still clung to the friendly breast 
that had cherished them, refusing to release their hold, 
and carrying the torn fragments with them to the 
tomb. And yet the dead, turning their glassy eyes 
upon us, as we passed, were not more horrible than 
the living, witli their pinched faces, blue with cold, 
trembling as they hugged their almost naked fonns 
with their bony arms, in a vain attempt to retain the 
heat which was not there; or collecting in groups to 
gather warmth from numbers, ever and anon chang- 
ing places, that the outer ciicle might be relieved 
from the pinching cold, while those within assumed 
their places, to come back in turn. So these pale, 
haggard wretches starved and froze, day by day 
unnoticed, and were buried like brutes. 

Hope of exchange had died within us ; not a ray 
of light penetrated the thick gloom of the prospect be- 



334: FUORTEEN MONTHS 

fore us. Tlie only thought of the strong and healthy 
was by stout resistance to put off the evil day a 
little longer; but we felt that it must come soon to 
all of us, when the brief straggle would be over. 

Confederate officers came daily into the pen to so- 
licit recruits for their service. A few hundreds joined 
them ; but their motives were well understood. They 
intended only to relieve their own personal suffer- 
ings, and if ever put in action, at the front, to desert. 
Though their services in the Confederate army boded 
no good for the rebel cause, the conduct of these men 
can hardly be justified. They had already passed 
many months in prison, had nearly "finished their 
course ;" perhaps, true courage would have refused 
the offer, and met death rather than disgrace. But 
what will not a man give for his life ? Let us not 
judge them too harshly, remembering how sorely 
they were tempted. 

On the day of the Presidential election, a ballot 
box was 02:)ened, and some three thousand votes cast 
for Mr. Lincoln, and nearly a thousand for McClel- 
lan. The election passed off* very much as elections 
usually do ; the police were principally " dimocrats," 
and exercised petty tyranny over the sick and help- 
less, who preferred Lincoln to "Little Mike," by 
knocking them down and beating them with their 
clubs. I make mention of these outrages only to show 



I.V 80UTIIKUN PKI80NS. 335 

the character of the rneri who v^ara willing U) serve 
the Confederate cauHc. The police were a privileged 
claKH, Kerving their jnasters welL They were in 
league with those artisans who deserted their colors 
to labor in Confederate workshops, and all true Irish- 
men will spurn them, when they hear of the shame 
they have ?jrought upon the name of a brave, gener- 
ous and noble race. 

The rebel authorities had large handbills struck, 
offering tempting terms to meiihanics, if they would 
com6 over to their side. These were posted upon 
the walls outside the pen ; had they been placed 
within it, they would have been torn down as insults. 
But few were drawn from their allegiance by this 
artifice; taking all who were released as mechanics, 
and those who enlisted, they would not number 300 
men. The recruiting officers had ?ionor enough to 
feel ashamed of their business, though t?iey tried to 
hide it behind faces of brass. 

I had offered my services, which had been accepted, 
early in November, to assist the surgeon in collect- 
ing the sick, and taking their names, <fcc., for the 
special exchange; and when the work was finished, 
one of the doctors had volunteered to ase his influ- 
ence to have me exchanged, with the rest, as a hos- 
pital attendant. On tlie 14th, while I was wander- 
ing about the camp, a friend ran hastily to me, 



336 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

announcing that I was desired to report immediately 
at the gate, for exchange. Thinking that the doc- 
tor's promised efforts for my exchange had been 
crowned with success, and without stopping to look 
after my luggage, which consisted of an old haver- 
sack, several cooking utensils, which I had made 
while waiting for the train at Opehki, and a small 
quantity of rations, ready to be " made up" for next 
morning's " trade," I rushed for the gate. I passed 
it " all right " and hurried up to headquarters under 
guard. Here I found several comrades, among them 
my old friend Beach, through whose kind offices, my 
name had been brought to the commander's notice, and 
reporting myself, waited further orders. When the 
Captain, who commanded at the jjost, had allowed 
us to wait long enough to satisfy his dignity, he ap- 
proached us and administered the parole of honor, 
not to escape while on duty. This done, we were 
informed that on account of so many prisoners being 
exchanged, the prison post was in want of men to 
work in the slaughter house, and that we could take 
our choice between going there and working, or going 
back into the prison. Although this did not look 
. favorable towards an immediate release, we were not 
long in choosing, and were soon installed in busi- 
ness. I remained here four days. The business was 
not new to me, and in it I found something to rp- 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 33 Y 

lieve the terrible monotony of prison life. We 
slaughtered thirty-five head of cattle per day ; the 
animals were small and very lean, averaging about 
350 pounds each ; this, after deducting rations for 
the officers and guards, left about one-fourth of a 
pound per man, per diem, including the bone, which 
in lean cattle, bears a large proportion to the meat. 
Sui^day morning the 20th of !N"ovember, the Caj)- 
tain sent down an orderly commanding us to report 
at once at headquarters. A rumor had been put in 
circulation by the quidnuncs to the effect that those 
whose term of service had expired, and none others, 
were to be immediately exchanged, and that all who 
applied for exchange must take an oath to that effect. 
Acting upon this rumor, Beach would not go to head- 
quarters, but the rest of us went. When we reached 
the office, the Captain said, " Now boys, there are 
twenty-five of you, twelve of whom can go on this 
exchange, this afternoon. I want to be fair and hon- 
orable, in deciding Avho shall stay." He then put 
twenty-five ballots, upon twelve of which was written 
the word " go," — the remainder being blanks, — into 
a hat ; these being well shaken, we advanced as our 
names were called, and drew our fate. It was a curi- 
ous, as well as impressive scene, to watch the shifting 
shades upon the swarthy faces of those ragged, dirty 
men, as each advanced with trembling hand and 



338 FCTUKTEEN MONTHS 

bated breath, and to see tlie eagerness with which 
each watched the other as he called the magic word 
with exulting heart, or crept hopelessly back to his 
place with the fearful blank in his hand. Every 
fortunate ticket was counted as it was drawn, and 
the diminished or increased odds more carefully 
noted than ever mortal watched the fatal wheel of 
fortune; for life itself was now at stake. Home, 
friends, plenty, existence ; prison, neglect starvation, 
death ; these were the alternatives; upon those bits 
of paper, not an inch in surface, hung all our future. 
The strong men who had faced death upon twenty 
fields, had marched with scornful pride to the can- 
non's mouth, had met imflinching, the stern charge, 
and hurled back the recoiling foe ; men who had 
famished for fourteen weary months, exposed to 
storms without shelter, to pestilence without the 
means of warding it off, or escaping from it, and 
never murmured, — wept like children over the bit of 
white paper that lay in their, hands. Nerves strong 
as steel, strained to their utmost tension by the hope 
of release, suddenly relaxed as the new born hope 
exj)ired, and became soft and weak as those of a babe. 
My name was the last upon the list, and all the world's 
goods would not tempt me again to undergo the 
agony of suspense, with which I watched the draw- 
ing of those ballots. The revulsion of feeling I 



IN 80UT11EKN I'KIBONH. 339 

experienced when the little paper being opened, 
revealed the word *' go," overpowered me, and I 
Htood entranced, unable to move, aw one in a fearful 
nightmare, till a desperate effort forced a loud Khout 
from my lips, and I was free. The gloomy pri.son, 
with its train of hideous experiences, its spectres of 
woe, wretchedness and death, vanished. The very 
air seemed laden with vivifying fragrance bearing 
health, life, upon its wings. A new world was opened 
to my eyes, a beautiful world, where every bough 
dropped healing balm and every hill seemed a 
paradise. 



CHAPTER X. 

Paroled— Rebel Truce Boats— On board Ship— Homeward bound— 
NortHern Soil— Furloughed— Views of the Prisoners— Tables- 
Conclusion. 

In the afternoon of the same day, we were paroled 
while this was going on, a citizen came in with the 
news that Gen. Kilpatrick's cavalry, forming the right 
of Sherman's advance, was near Macon, tearing up 
the railroad and devastating the surrounding coun- 
try. This news, together with our new " situation," 
made us jubilant, and three cheers, long and loud, 
rent the air. We left Millen, and about 8,000 prison- 
ers, just as twilight was deepening into night, reach- 
ing Savannah at daylight the next morning. A rain 
storm had set in about midnight, and heavy clouds 
still hung about the sky, dropping their chilling bur- 
den upon our unprotected persons, as we disembarked 
from the train into the streets of the city. Many of 
the prisoners still doubted the sincerity of the ex- 
change, and believed that we were again being re- 
moved from Millen to a more secure pen ; but to the 



IU2 vol KTKKN MONTHS 

I)ottor infornuHl, tlio naturo of (ho parole, whii'li was 
tho sanio as that n*ivon to thoso who liad boon sont 
through our liuos at the front, just atlor a battle, was 
sutHeient evidence of its verity. 

The tirst train load of prisoners, which had passed 
through iSavannah for the ileet, had boon so well 
treated by the citizens, who had distributed many 
comforts and little luxuries among the half stai'ved 
men, that, upon our arrival, guards of infantry luid 
cavalry had been stationed on both sides of the street, 
and indeed marched by our sides to the levee, to 
prevent any little outbursts of tender-hearted sympa- 
thy which might bo exhibited in our behalf Whether 
the Confederate autliorities feared kindness would, 
from its novelty, have an injurious etleet upon the 
prisoners, or that the exercise of ch.-u'ity would 
quench the ftvi*-lamed tire which had been so otlen 
kindled in the Southern heart, did not ti'auspire; 
bayonets and cavalry swords eftectually repressed 
every attempt at making the experiment, to prove 
which of the two hypotheses was correct. Reaching 
the levee, neai* the city gas-works, the colunm halted 
for an hour, in the cold mist tliat had settled down 
upon the river, waiting the transports, that were to 
convey us to Venus Point, where our fleet lay at an- 
chor. But the storm, and the cold and the hunger, 
>vere all forgotten, or unnoticed, in the exulting feel- 



tn'/j; wlii';li :uiiui;iU'/\ our \ft'iiiiHiM. 'I'i/'; hour huojuoA 
an ag<; lo our ifupatic/jt H|/intH, i have road ofphi- 
JoHopli'irH, who hav<j nufHiincA ca)f/i a/j'i cjAlacXcA, 
afj'l cooJIy oljHcrva/it of "Ihi/igH," amid IIjo Hud<i<:fi 
and unJookc.d for IranHitionH of fortune, marjif<;Hting 
/JO <;/notjon of joy or grief by mo much an a change of 
muH(de or a HparkJe of the eye; but, however denira- 
f>h'- Huch control of nervcM, or Kuch nUJidity, which 
ever^^ in, that can wear an air of indilfereuce on all 
o<;caKionM, it waw an aceom])li»hme/it far below par 
with UH at that time, and I am inclIriedU^ the beli<;f 
that thoHe Mame Hi/AcH wouJd }>e completely cured of 
their inMenHibility, and tliat a return to liberty, afU;r 
a year Hpent in Houthern military prinonH, would «cat- 
ter the duKty proverbn of their pliiloHophical ilioxmen 
to the windH. And if any devotee of* indifference 
doubtM the practica)>ility of thii* view, ](st him try it; 
the experiment would be a complete te«t. 

Two Hmall river boatn were moored to the levce 
wh<;re w(t haJt<;d, with Hteam up, waiting for the Hig- 
;juj to tuk(; HH on board and move forwarrL Dignity 
and red tape being at ia»t natinfic^l, the flag of truce 
bout *' Heauregard'* Hteamed pa«t, with the white 
Hag at th(; maHt-head. Instantly we were ordered U* 
embark, and in a faw minutcH were in motion, follow- 
ing our leader in line down the stream. We rapidly 
[>aHHed the rib work of a new iron-dad, whicli forcibly 



344 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

reiniuded us of our owu skeleton appeai'anco, and 
saw the numerous torpedoes lying in wait to blow 
the Yankee gun-boats into — the surrounding coun- 
try, upon the shortest notice, if they should dare to 
pass up the stream. The presence of these formida- 
ble machines was revealed by sharp pointed timbers 
attached to them, and inclining down the stream. 
Three of these *' sharp sticks " were observed close 
together, in one locality. There was a large fort and 
extensive earth-works on the right bank, near the 
"obstructions,'' bristling with cannon, so trained as 
to crush any hostile fleet that attempted to pass them. 
I counted thirty-six heavy seige guns, as we passed 
through the obstructions alone. In addition to these 
shore batteries, two heavy u*on-clads, like twin Cer- 
beri, guarded the passage through the obstructions. 
It seemed to us, though we were landsmen, to be 
sure, that it would be iitterly impossible for our fleet 
to ascend the river past these batteries, and that tlie 
attempt to do so, would insm'e the almost instanta- 
neous destruction of every vessel that made it. 

We reached our fleet, which was anchored at Ve- 
nus Point, at two P. M. ; and were kept in waiting 
two hours before all the prelimiuai'ies were settled, 
when we were transferred to the steamer "Star of 
the South." The rebel transports, having discharged 
their burden, turned about and steamed up the river. 



the cloud oi black Kmoke f^rowiw^ ^mailer and small- 
er, finally dixappoaring in the distance. It H'a« not 
until thfcMe vennalH had disappeared around the bend 
of the Htream that we felt our«elve» fr*?i? ; and th« 
loved flag, which floated ko proudly over our luaadn, 
annnrad uh that thi« indeed wau no error, I had been 
under the guard of rehel bayonetH ju«t four hundred 
and iwaniy-Hix. dayx; lia/l panned over more than 
ihre<t thousand rnilen of railroad; ha^^l been confined 
ifi five different priuonn ; it i« no wonder, tlterefbre, 
that, aii I turned ray eyen from thone filthy rebeU and 
lh(-Ir dirty vegKeh* to the neat nrn£omiH and clean 
deck of the stately nhip on board of which we tlien 
Htood, and noted the contract, that I felt a» if I ha^l 
'ii«covered a new race of beings, a higher order of 
cxiKtence, than I ha<^l ever known before ; and I doubt 
if ColumbuH and hi* crew were more joyful, when 
they landed upon the new IIemi>?phere, than we were 
in embarking upon a United Staten ve8»eL ITie next 
morning we were placed on board the ncrew steamer 
'• Ocn. Sedgwick,** and at five r. m. moved down the 
river, past f'ort Pulaski, and onward into the open 
Hca. Tlio wind had blown all <lay from the ocean, 
and waH increasing in force a» we passed out of «ight 
of land into the darkness. Our "rocking in the era- 
lie of the deep" that night, will never be forgotten 
by the " land lubberH " that were taking free passage 
23 



346 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

to the North. Our acrobatics certainly possessed a 
liigh order of merit. Suinmersatilts were so frequent 
that the behoklers lost all interest in them, while 
constant standing upon our heads would have cer- 
tainly produced vertigo, if there had not been as 
constant a change to an upright position. 

The next morning found the good ship tossing and 
tumbling about on the billows, and the wind seemed 
to us to have increased to a hurricane. The sailors, 
however, lounged about with such unconcern, as to 
convey the idea to us that it was but a zephyr ; and 
if we had had any fears of going to the bottom, their 
sangfroid would have put them to flight. The storm 
subsided during the day, and it continued fixir for the 
remainder of the voyage. As we passed the straits 
and entered Chesapeake Bay, we saw the fleet pre- 
paring for the expedition against Fort Fisher. When 
opposite Point Lookout, we could plainly descry the 
high wall of a military prison, where the captured 
rebels were held, and the cloud of smoke that hov- 
ered over the spot indicated that they had no lack of 
fuel, whatever other articles of necessity they might 
be deprived of 

Reaching tlic harbor at Annapolis about midnight, 
we cast anchor, and waited for daylight before pro- 
ceeding to the dock. Here we were received by a 
band of music, playing the "Star Spangled Banner"; 



IN HOTTHEUX PIUSONfi. 347 

tlic Kick were placed in arnbulanccK, while the well 
men marched to the barrackH within the city limitB. 
Jlere facilitie8 weic iurnished for bathing, a procesB 
with which we had been long unacquainted; new 
clothing was iKKued, in exchange for the filthy rags 
we had ho long worn. Ah noon an the necefisary acts 
of cleanlineBH were performed, the boyH, having pro- 
cured Htationcry and ink, were noon busy inditing 
letterfl to their friends, announcing their arrival in 
a land of civilization and chriHtianity. And many a 
loving heart wan made glad hy the tidings that the 
dear one, mourned as lost, wan once more near. 

From the Barracks we were removed the next day 
to parole Camp, some two milcH beyond the city 
limits, on the Baltimore and Annapolis Railroad. 
Here the same kind attention was paid us as we had 
received from the moment we stepped on board the 
steamer near Fort Pulaski The officers and atten- 
dents of the camp seemed to vie with each other in 
their effortfi to minister to our wants. Anxious friends 
came seeking for loved ones, but many, very many, 
turned away sad and disappointed from a fruitless 
search. The U. S. Sanitary and Christian Commis- 
sions deserve a lasting praise for their generous and 
welcome aid, in furnishing us with stationery, cloth- 
ing, and a great variety of necessary articles, which 
the government could not give. After two or three 



348 FOyUTEEN MONTHS 

days stay at this camp, the Secretary of War issued 
an order that we be fiirloughed for thirty days. Two 
months pay was given us, and the necessary papers 
for the commutation of rations. On the 8th of Decem- 
ber I received my furlougli and immediately started 
for home, where I arrived on tlie 11th. Here sur- 
rounded by friends and plenty, I rested after my 
fourteen months experience in Rebel Prisons. 



Although my narrative, were it exclusively a per- 
sonal one, would j^roperly end here, my task would 
be incomplete without a somewhat more particular 
account of the feelings and opinions of the prisoners 
themselves, in regard to the course pursued by our 
own Government, in the matter of exchange. Four 
years of war have raised a strong j^rejudice, as I am 
aware, against the views and statements of the pri- 
vate soldier. It could not well be otherwise, in the 
necessary discrimination between an officer and a 
private ; credence being accorded to the former in mili- 
tary circles, upon the theory that he would not dis- 
honor himself by speaking an untruth, or by giving a 
false gloss to the truth itself; while the mere state- 
ment of the latter, unaccompanied by proof, was of 
no consequence, or at most, was taken with so many 
" grains of allowance" that scarcely any thing was left 
to be believed* The government crediting the repres- 



IX SOUTHEKN PKISONS. 349 

eiitation of officers as to their treatment by the enemy, 
adopted a system of retaliation upon a portion of the 
rebel officers whom they had captured ; while at the 
same time that these retaliatory measures were taken, 
there were thousands of private Federal prisoners, 
whose treatment by the rebels was tenfold worse than 
that of our officers, but whose cry for relief fell upon 
deaf ears. It was believed that this discrimination 
was made because our Government credited the story 
of cruelty in the one case, and disbelieved it in the 
other; because a sword and sash conferred upon 
the wearer a higher character for truth, than a bay- 
onet and body belt. Without attempting any argu- 
ment to show whether this feeling was just or unjust, 
I am free to state that it existed generally among 
the prisoners; and with what seemed to them at 
least, good reason. For they knew that there was no 
less occasion for retaliation upon rebel privates, than 
upon rebel officers, if the Government had been in- 
formed of the atrocities daily practiced upon us. 
That it was informed of them, we believed, because 
several prisoners had made good their escape, and 
reached their homes, and their accounts were pub- 
lished in the papers of the time. Petitions had been 
drawn up giving partial accounts of our sufferings, 
and asking for relief; they had befen signed by large 
numbers of the prisoners, sent through the lines by 



350 FOtTRTEEN MONTHS 

men>wlio were appointed for the purpose, and who 
coukl give full details of our treatment, and present- 
ed to the Government. It is no wonder that these 
wretched men should consider themselves the victims 
of neglect on the part of the country they had periled 
their lives to j)rotect, and should curse the rulers who 
were so remiss in their duty to them. 

It was understood why the exchange was dropped 
in the first instance, but it was believed that the 
policy which caused the old cartel to be abrogated, 
was wrong from the beginning. We admitted that 
the negro soldier was entitled to the same protection 
as the white man, and should have received it ; but to 
insure this to him, it was not necessary to insist upon 
no exchange at all. A system of retaliation could 
have been devised, by which a body of rebels equal 
in number to the negro prisoners, could have been 
subjected to the same treatment as the blacks receiv- 
ed, and there would have been still enough to ex- 
change man for man for the white Federals ; for after 
the exchange was abandoned, there was at all tunes 
a surplus of prisoners in the hands of the Federal 
Government. If this system had been proff'ered by 
Mr. Stanton and declined by the Rebels, even in that 
case, it would have removed from our minds the 
impression that we were left to bear our tortures 
unpitied and uncared for, and nerved us to greater 



IN SOUTHERN PBISOJi^S. 351 

endurance. But we seemed to be forgotten. When 
the rebel lines closed around us on the field of con- 
flict, we appeared to enter a horrible abyss, and no 
thought from those whom we left behind, followed us. 
We found an earthly hell, and oblivion rolled be- 
tween us and those we had been separated from. 

Cut it was more galling to our sjjirits than this 
seeming neglect, than the superhuman sufferings we 
endured, to feel that while we starved, our enemies 
fattened under the government which had abandoned 
us ; for we well knew that no motives of humanity 
would induce those placed over us to mitigate our 
condition, that no sympathy from them would allev- 
iate our wretchedness one iota; nothing, in short, 
would induce them to treat us like human beings, but 
actual fear of experiencing the same torments which 
they inflicted upon us. It was understood among us 
that our enemies when captured, were treated as 
prisoners of war are treated among civilized nations, 
and so long as this was continued, there was no hope 
for us. We felt that they had a fell purpose in view 
which they would persist in carrying out, until they 
were compelled by retaliation to abandon it. The 
declaration made by the officers at Danville, that 
*' we nov) have them where, with the severity of the cli- 
mate and harsh treatment^ nature will do its work 
faster than the bullet ^^"^ followed by the continued 



352 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

acts ot barbarity wliicli were inflicted upon Federal 
prisoners, subsequent to that declaration, were sufli- 
cient evidence to us that our fate was the result of 
design on the part of the CoJifederate Government. 
For by this means alone, during the year from Octo- 
ber 1863, to October 1801, at least, 50,000 men were 
rendered incapable of ever bearing arms ; if the con- 
test could be prolonged for a number of years, at 
this rate of destruction, nature would indeed do the 
work, and there would be no need of the bullet. 

But the system of retaliation, as ado2:)ted by the 
Government, failed, it was said, of lessening the 
misery of the oflicers, the severity of wiiose treatment 
it was intended to mitigate. This was in a measure 
true, but the reason of the failure lies in the manner 
of the retaliation, and not in the principle advocated ; 
for while the United States deprived certain rebel 
oflicers of a portion of regulation supplies, it permit- 
ted them to obtain many necessaries and even lux- 
uries, through their friends at the North. The only 
w^ay in which retaliation could be hoped to be suc- 
cessful, was by reducing all the rebel oflicers from 
the highest in rank to the lowest, to the minimum 
quantity, and the poorest quality of rations, issued to 
us ; by depriving them of their clothing, as we were 
deprived; by confining them in an open enclosure 
as we were, with no other means of protecting them- 



eclvcK than was permitted uh; aud }>y thus nlaugh- 
tering them in hundreds and thouHandK, as we wava 
slaughtered. J J ad tliis course been adopted and 
rigidly adhered to, such a cry would have gone out, 
from the influential men at the South, from among 
whom nearly all rebel officers camrj, as would have 
forced the Confederate Government to treat its pris- 
oners ^ith more humanity. And it would have been 
just, for thousands of lives would have been saved 
thereby; and Ijesides, it would have Ijrought the 
results of their own policy directly home to them, 
thus employing their own weapons against them. 

It was rumored among us that Mr. Stanton had 
reported, as one reason why the exchange was not 
re-opened, that to give a strong, healthy rebel, ready 
to be put into the field the moment lie had passed 
our lines, for a naked, half-starved skeleton, covered 
with disease, and incapable of ever again serving in 
the army, was not an equal exchange. This logic 
seemed hard to us, for we believed the rumor to be 
true. If the prisoners, held at the North, had been 
the only means in the command of the rebels for fill- 
ing the ranks of their now depleted armies, we should 
have submitted to oiir wretched condition, without a 
murmur, thinking we were still serving our country. 
Or if, on the other hand, the prisoners in tlje power 
of the rebels, had been necessary to keep our armies 



85 4 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

full to tliL' iiiaxiiuuin, wc slioiild luivc considered the 
roi)utod ytiitemciit of the Secrotary of War, as being 
less oppressive. l>ut even if an iible-bodied rebel 
had been exchanged for a loyal " skeleton," and the 
latter discharged from further service, there was an 
able-bodied Northern man to take his place ; so that 
even in this view, the " statement" was without good 
and suflicient reason, to support it. AVo did not 
believe it to be just, that we, who had stood, like a 
wall of fire, upon our borders, that those whom Ave 
l>rotected might live in the midst of })lenty, enjoying 
a prosperity almost without a parallel in the history 
of the country, should sufter death inch by inch, 
because we had become so reduced in health and 
strength as to be incapable of further military ser- 
vice; neither did Ave consider those left behind, 
engaged in the peaceful pursuits of civil life, to be 
under less obligation than ourselves, to defend a 
government as much tlieir own as ours. Surely, if 
they Avere not Avilling to make the sacrifice, if there 
were not men enough at home Avith sufficient patriot- 
ism to offset the balance AA^hich might be made against 
us by exclianges, Avhile tlu^ ])opulati()n of the North 

Avas so much greater than tliat of the South, the 

« 

Republic Avas a failure and not Avorth preserving. 

It Avas urged by some of the prisoners, that it 
Avould have been Avronix for the United States to 



IS KOUTJIEKN I'lUHONH. 355 

ado[>t raUiWuUyry mcjiHurcH, bccauHc tJjc prJHorjcrM in 
\\M h.'iM'JH were iniiooonl rncri, iu no way accountablo 
for tfic crucIlioH wc wore made; to HuHcr. So were 
w«; innoe(;nt men, Haid Uie other Hi(Je, porHonally 
ijjnoccnt of any crime against tiic Confederate HtatcM. 
Vet w(; were held t<j HufFer for the act of our govern- 
ni(;nt in carrying on war; why hhouhl they not Hufrer 
in the Hame manner? JicHideH, as has been said be- 
fore, retah'ation was made upon officerH; why nol 
upon i)rivates also? Were not the latter entitled to 
protection equally with the former? Were they not, 
in<lee<], entitled to the greater protection, by as much 
as they were;, by their position, the more helpless? 

Every tree is known by its fruit; and, judging the 
policy of the system of non-exchange by this stand- 
ard, we see its complete failure. I mean Uj pass no 
strictures upon the administration. It is easier to 
[joint out errors after, than before, trial, and all the 
f)risoners, whose opinions were entitled to considera- 
tion, believed our Government to be animated with a 
d(;Hire to do what was for the best in the premises. 
J Jut at the same time they did not fail Uj criticise its 
acts, while they admitted the purity of its motives. 
The experiment of non-exchange and non-retaliation, 
cost the lives of 50,000 as good and true m(;n as ever 
faced a hostile cannon, more than the half of whom 
might liave been saved and returned Uj duty. 



356 I'OTJKTEEN MONTHS 

It is useless to urge that the rebels had no suj^plies 
with which to feed and clothe us, in palliation of their 
barbarity ; for food, if not cloth, existed in abundance. 
There was no reason for their strij^ping us of our 
clothing, when we Avere captured, or of stealing the 
suj^plies sent us at Danville. They might have pro- 
vided shelter against the storms and the heat, and 
wood for fuel. They might have imprisoned us in 
other places than swamps, reeking with malaria and 
pestilence ; they might have placed us in charge of 
men, in whose nature the brute was not superior to 
the human, and by whom our sufferings might have 
been greatly alleviated. And if they were unable to 
treat us as civilized beings, they could have set us 
free. They professed to be fighting for the princij)les 
of liberty; but that principle which requires the sac- 
rifice of whole hecatombs of helj^less enemies, by the 
slow torture of starvation, is sprung of fiends and not 
of liberty. 



m SOITTHEEK PHISOKS. 



357 



Below are tabular statements, showing the relative 
amounts of rations and clothing issued to prisoners 
of war iy the two governments : 



One ration issued by the U. S. 

Government per day, to Rebel 

Prisoners of War : 

Hard Pread 14 oz., or 

Soft " 18 " or 

Corn Meal 18 " 

Beef 14 " or 

Bacon o'r Pork 10 '' 

White Beans 1-16 qt. , 

Hominy or Rice. . . .1 7-25 oz. 

Sugar 2 1-4 " 

Rio Coffee 11-3 " 

Tea 2 3-4 dr. 

Hard Soap 2-3 " 

Candles, Adam 'tine. 1-20 or 
" Tallow.... 1-16 " 

Salt 1-50 qt. 

Molasses 1-100 " 

Potatoes 8-10 lb. 

Vinegar 32-100 gi. 



One ration issued by C. S. A- 
Governmeiit per day^ to Fed- 
eral Prisoners of War : 



Corn Meal, unbolted. .9 oz. 

Beef 4 " or 

Bacon 4 " 

Peas I-IG qt. 

Rice 1 oz. 



Soft Soap . 



1-32 dr. 



Salt 1-lUOqt 

Molasses 1-300 " 



Clothing 'issued by C. S. A. 
to Federal Prisoners in all 
■places^ firom Sept. 18G3, to 
Nov. 18G4 : 

None. 



Clothing issued by U. S. to Reb- 
el Prisoners at Fort Dela- 
ware from Sept. Istj 1863, to 
May Isf, 1864 : 

Overcoats 2,680 

Jackets and Coats 1,094 

Flannel Shirts 6,260 

Pants 1,310 

Drawers 7,175 

Pairs Woolen Socks 8,807 

" Bootees 3,840 

W oolen Blankets 4, 38 7 

I have taken great pains to ascertain the exact 



358 "i-OURTEEN MONTHS 

amount and kinds of rations issued at Camps Doug- 
las and Chase, and at other places, where large num- 
bers of rebel prisoners have been confined during 
the war ; I have received statements from several 
reliable persons, in reply to letters soliciting informa- 
tion upon the subject, and believe what is set down 
in the above tables, to be true. As regards the 
allowance afforded by the rebels, I am able to vouch for 
it myself, having many times weighed and measured 
what I so often divided among twenty-five men ; and 
there are thousands of living witnesses, in the vari- 
ous parts of the United States, who will corroborate 
my statement. 

Not only was no clothing issued to us, but even a 
portion of that we had when we were cajDtured, was 
taken from us. The supplies sent through the lines, 
while we were at Danville, were in part kept back, 
and of those who received a portion, the majority 
exchanged it for eatables with rebel sutlers, in the 
anticipation of a speedy exchange, — an anticipation 
excited by rumors set afloat by rebel agencies. It 
was well known that half-starved men would part 
with anything they possessed in return for food, par- 
ticularly when they believed that a few days, at 
most, would put them into a situation to obtain a 
new supply ; hence the frequent rumors of exchange 
until all our clothing: was in rebel hands. 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 359 

The following extracts from a report submitted by 

Brig. Gen. Barnes, in command of Prisoners camp, 

at Point Lookout, are presented without connnent : 

" Office of A. C. S. of Prisoners of War, ) 
"Point Lookout, Md., April 15, 1865. j 

"Prisoners of War, in accordance with General or- 
der No. 1, of Brigadier General H. W. Wessels, 
Commissary General of Prisoners, dated Washington 
January 13th, 1865, are now allowed the following 
rations^ viz : Pork or bacon ten ounces, (in lieu of 
beef:) salt or fresh beef fourteen ounces ; flour or soft 
bread, sixteen ounces ; hard bread ten ounces, (in 
lieu of flour or soft bread;) corn meal, sixteen ounces 
(in lieu of flour or bread.) 

To 100 rations; beans or peas, twelve and one 
half pounds; or rice or hominy eight pounds ; soap two 
pounds; vinegar two quarts; salt two pounds; 
which rations are of the same quality as those issued 
to the United States troops, and are drawn by the 
Assistant Commissary of subsistance of prison camp, 
from Post Commissary, on requisition for the num- 
ber of prisoners in camp, and re-issued to each mess- 
house in bulk, there to be cooked in large boilers 
made for the i)urpose, and served out to the prisoners 
thus : Each cook-house, of which there are seven, 
originally intended to feed one thousand men per 
diem, being able to accommodate five hundred at a 
time, is now made to furnish food for two thousand 
and upwards, is under the charge of two sergeants, 
one to superintend the cooking of the rations, and 
the other, (both are prisoners) the serving of them 
out. Tlie camp being laid out in divisions of a thou* 
sand men each, is so arranged that each cook-house, 



360 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

as far as practicable, shall feed two divisions twice a 
day, and to avoid any confusion, each division fur- 
nishes to the cook-house where it gets its food daily, 
the number of men present, which must agree with 
tlie number stated on the morning the report is made 
to the Provost Marshal. 

" Bread is delivered each noon for the twenty-four 
hours siicceeding, to the sergeants in charge of com- 
panies of 100 men, who issue it to the men they have 
in charge. Each day at dinner the prisoners receiv- 
ed a large cup of bean or pea soup, and in the morn- 
ing received the ration of beef or pork, as stated. 
They are marched up by companies, to the number 
of five hundred at a time to each cook-house, and eat 
the rations prepared for them, and set on long tables, 
out of tin-ware, which is always kept clean and bright. 

"Every care is taken to keep the cook-houses per- 
fectly clean, and the food properly cooked and served. 
Once each week the Provost Marshal inspects the 
houses, and the medical officer of the day inspects 
the food daily. The Assistant Commissary of Sub- 
sistence of prison camp visits each house daily, and 
is strict in seeing that food, utensils, and houses, are 
kept clean, and that each of the employees attends 
to his duty. 

" Sugar and coiFee, or tea, are issued to the sick and 
wounded, in conformity to General Order 'No. 1 , above 
referred to, in the manner therein specified. 

" Prisoners employed on public wcn-ks are allowed 
the following rations, viz: 

" Pork or bacon, 12 ounces, (in lieu of beef ;) salt or 
fresh beef, 16 ounces; flour or soft bread, 18 ounces; 
hard bread, 12 ounces, (in lieu of flour or soft bread;) 
corn meal, 18 ounces, (in lieu of flour or bread.) 



IN SOUTHER Jf PRISONS. 361 

" Per 100 rations : beans or peas, 15 pounds ; rice or 
hominy, 10 pounds, (in lieu of beans or peas;) coffee, 
(ground) 5 pounds ; coffee, (green) 7 pounds, (in lieu 
of ground coffee;) tea, 16 ounces, (in lieu of coffee;) 
sugar, 12 pounds ; vinegar, 3 quarts ; soaj), 4 pounds ; 
salt, 3f pounds ; which they receive in the following 
manner : These prisoners receive daily, in the same 
way that other prisoners do at the cook-houses, the 
same rations that are issued to the bulk of the prison- 
ers, and once every ten days the Assistant Commis- 
sary of Subsistence of the camp issues to the Ser- 
geant of each detailed squad the difference between 
the ration already received and the allowance as 
above. The Sergeants in charge of details then di- 
vide this surplus equally between the men under 
them. There are about one thousand men employed 
on public works, viz: 350 on fortifications, and 650 
by the Post Quartermaster. 

" Soft bread is almost invariably furnished ; in fact, 
hard bread has never been issued, except to prison- 
ers arriving at this depot too late to have bread baked 
at the bakery on the Point. In all instances the ra- 
tions are fresh and good, and are the same in quality 
as those issued to the United States troops. Every care 
is taken to have the rations (and they are) fairly served 
out, and especial care is taken to have them properly 
cooked and prepared. Rations are now issued to 
about 19,500 prisoners, exclusive of those in hospitals. 

" Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

« C. H. WHITTEMORE. 
"Lieutenant and A. C. S. of Prisoners of War. 

"Brigadier General James K. Barnes, 
CommandingDistrict St. Mary's, Point Lookout, Md." 

24 



362 FOJJETEEN MO:jfTHS 

"Pkisonees' Hospital, ) 

'•Point Lookout, Md., April 15, 1865. ) 

" General : In compliance with your request, I 
have the honor to submit the following report, re- 
garding the medical treatment of prisoners of war 
under your command: 

" The camp is divided into divisions of one thousand 
men each; each division is under the charge of vol- 
unteer medical officers from among the prisoners, 
whose duty it is to treat those slightly sick in quar- 
ters, and report all serious cases to the United States 
medical officers in charge of all the divisions of camp, 
for examination, with reference to their admission 
into hospital. 

" A daily sick call is held in each company, the same 
as in regiments of our own troops. 

"The hospital proper consists of nine large wooden 
wards, each ward having sixty hospital beds, com- 
plete. 

" In addition to these wards, there are sixty hospital 
tents, floored, and with beds. 

" There are separate and detached wards for meas- 
les, erysipelas, and other contagious diseases. The 
hospital for small-pox is located one mile from the 
prisoners' camp and hospital. 

*' The medicines drawn for the use of the prisoners 
are of the same kind and quantity as issued to our 
own troops at military posts. 

" The diet of the sick is the same^as in United States 
general hospitals for the treatment of our own sick. 
The savings on the army rations constitute the hos- 
pital fund, and is expended the same as in other 
hospitals, in the purchase of articles of extra diet for 



IN SOUTHERN PKISONS. oOo 

the sick, such as butter, cheese, milk, corn starch, 
farina, vermicelU, macaroni, soda crackers, eggs, ap- 
ples, onions, and such other vegetables as the market 
affords ; the amount thus expended from July, 1864, 
to March, 1865, inclusive, being fourteen thousand, 
four hundred and forty-eight dollars and six cents. 

" Large issues of clothing have been made to prison- 
ers coming to the hospital in a destitute and suffering 
condition. 

" A large per centage of the sick treated, have been 
those received from the front in a feeble condition, 
or coming from other jDarts. Especially is this true of 
scurvy, and diseases of scorbutic and malarial origin. 

" Accom2:>anying this report is a copy of the general 
summary of monthly report of sick and wounded, with 
a tabular list of the most common diseases and deaths, 
by which it will be seen that, with an average of nine 
thousand three hundred and seventy-four (9,374) 
prisoners per month, from July, 1864, to March, 1865, 
inclusive, there were one hundred and forty-seven 
deaths monthly,* being a ratio of fifteen and seven- 
hundredths per one thousand men. From September 
1863, to June 1864, inclusive, with an average of 
seven thousand four hundred and ninety-one (7,491) 
prisoners per month, there were sixty-two deaths, 
monthly, being a ratio of eight and four-tenths per 
one thousand men. 

*' The prevailing diseases are diarrhea, dysentery, 
remittent, intermittent and typhoid fevers, pneumonia 
and scurvy. 

" I am, very respectfully your obedient servant, 

" J. H. Thompson, 
" Surgeon U. S. V. in charge. 

"Brigadier General J. Barnes, Commanding." 



304 FUORTEEN MONTHS 

Gro&8 amount of articles purchased from Hospital 
Fund for extra diet, from July 1864, to March^ 
18G5, inclusive. 

Butter lbs. (5,08'7 

Cheese lbs. 5,10T 

Con. milk doz. 21 Q 

E^^s doz. 2,970 

Soda Crackers bbls. 189 

Apples bbls. 50 

Farina lbs. 1,782 

Corn {Starcli doz. 177 

Macaroni lbs. 3,000 

Yermicelli lbs. 3,000 

Pearl Barley lbs. 2,498 

Onions bbls. 77 

Turnips and other vegetables. .. .bbls. 348 

"I certify that the above is a true statement, com- 
plied from the monthly statement of hospital fund 
for the months included above. 

" J. H. Thompsok, 
" Surgeon U. S. V. in charge." 



*' IIeadqitarters District of St. Mary's i 

" Provost Marshal's Office, V 

"Point Lookout, Md., April 19, 1805. ) 

General : In accordance with your instructions, 
I have the honor to report the manner in which the 
prisoners-of-war camps are conducted at this post : 

The prisoners are divided into divisions of one 
thousand each, in charge of a non-commissioned 
officer detailed for that purpose from regiments doing 



IJNT SOUTllEllJV I'lUWUJSS. ^05 

duty at this post, and again divided iutu cunipaiiics 
of one hundred each, in charge of a non-commissioned 
officer selected from the prisoners, who are held 
responsible for the cleanliness and good behavior of 
the prisoners under their charge. On the arrival of 
prisoners, they are rc(iuired to deliver to the Provost 
Marshal, for safe-keeping, all moneys and valuables 
in their possession. Kach jjackage is marked with 
the owner's name, regiment and company, and is so 
registered and returned to them when leaving for 
exchange or discharge. Of the available currency a 
book is furnished them, upon which they are allowed 
to purchase from the sutler such articles as are al- 
lowed by the Connnissary General of Prisoners. 
Any money sent them during their confinement is 
placed to their credit in the same manner. Letters 
are allowed to be written and received by the pris- 
oners, and when examined, if found unexceptionable 
are immediately delivered. They are allowed to 
receive from their friends, "upon a j>6rmit from the 
Provost Marshal " such articles of clothing as they 
may require, i>rovided that they are of the proper 
quality and color. 

" The prisoners are comfortably quartered in Sibley 
tents, wedge tents, and wooden structures covered 
by shelter tents. The camps are thoroughly inspected 
every Sunday morning, and the prisoners paraded in 
V)y divisions, each man with his blanket, and any 
found in a h'lthy condition are required to bathe and 
wash themselves and clothing at once. For this pur- 
pose they are allowed free access to the shore, in 
rear of the camp on the Chesapeake Bay. The camps 
ar^i thoroughly policed daily, and the sanitary condi- 



866 



POUllTEEN MOISTTHS 



tion is fully equal, if uot superior, to auy regiment of 
our own troo{)S in the field. 

" Very respectfully, your obeilient servant, 

"A. G.Bkady, 
" Major and Provost ]Mar. in eliarge Prisoners of War. 

" Brigadier General Jaines J5arnes, Connnanding 
I)isti-iet St. IVfary's, Point Lookout, IMd." 

Tlie number of deaths per month for tlic eleven 
months, hegining Mai'eh 1st, ](SOI, ;ind ending Feb. 
1st, 1805, at Camp Sumter, Anderson ville, was as 
follows: 



First six days of Sept. . . 676 
Balance of Sept. & Oct. 3,719 

November 494 

December 170 

Jamiary, 186.^ 199 



Mardi 278 

April 544 

May 099 

.Tune 1,291 

July 1,733 

August 2,990 

Total 12,633 

Sixty-four of this numl)er died of small pox. 

From the 1st of July, 1804, to the' 1st of January, 
1805, the prisoners at Andersonville died at the rate 
of 12 per eent. per month. During my imprisonment 
at Danville, where some 4,000 men were confined, 470 
died, making an average rate of about two-thirds per 
eent. per month. At Milieu and Savannah, our pris- 
oners died at the rate of per cent. i)er month. The 
total number of deaths at P»elle Island, for the cpiarter 
ending March -'50, 1804, was 1,;390. On the other 
hand, at Camps Chase and Douglas, there were about 
18,000 men confined, out of which, it is said, 130, or 



i:Nr SOUTHEKN PllISONK. 367 

about thirteen-eighteenths per cent., died per month, 
on an average. In one day, at Anderson ville, 140 
bodies were deposited in the dead house ! 

How is this enormous discrepancy in the lists of 
mortality to be accounted for? It cannot be on the 
ground that the Federal j)risoners were of less robust 
constitution than the Rebels ; for the system of non- 
exchange was not adopted till nearly all the regi- 
ments in our army had been in the field, for at least 
a year, during which time, those who were physically 
incapable of enduring the ordinary hardships of mili- 
tary life had been "weeded out" of the ranks, and 
sent home or detailed ; neither was it because of the 
climate alone, although the malaria filling the atmos- 
phere of the swamps in which we were placed, un- 
doubtedly had a baleful influence on our health, — for 
in many districts as far South as Andersonville, where 
our troops were stationed, no such results followed. 
There can be but one answer to the question — dis- 
ease induced by the ])overty of the food — in short, 
starvation. 

Above I have given data from three of the prisons ; 
eleven more are yet to be accounted for. And when 
the great record is made up, there is no doubt it will 
show that from .lanuary, 1S6I, to January, 1865, 
30,000 men were swept into the grave, and 20,000 
njore physically disabled fur life by this atrocious 



368 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

treatment; men as brave and true as ever fought for 
sacred truth and justice, suffering martyrdom by the 
most horrible tortures ingenious human fiends could 
devise, lor no crime, save that of striving to maintain 
the rights their fathers bequeathed them. 

Those who were engaged in this wholesale slaugh- 
ter of helpless men, will undoubtedly deny the charges 
presented in this and similar accounts. Official re- 
ports will be referred to, to show that the tale has 
been falsely colored. A little insight into the man- 
ner of keeping the medical reports, will show their 
fallacy as a basis upon which to found a correct opin- 
ion of the facts. Had the war closed by treaty, a 
final adjustment would have been made, by which 
the number of prisoners taken could have been com- 
pared with the number returned, when the terrible 
list of mortality would have been disclosed. But it 
will never be known how many brave men have paid 
the last penalty, through the barbarity of their cap- 
tors, and a search for the truth among official records 
will be fruitless. The surgeon's report was made 
weekly, and returned to Richmond, showing the 
number under medical treatment, the number in hos- 
pital, the nimiber in camp receiving medicine, the 
number discharged in camp, the number discharged 
from the hospital, and the number of the dead. A 
summary of these rej)orts was occasionally made up 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 369 

and returned to the authorities at Washington. An 
order was issued by Capt. Wirz, requiring all who 
were sick to report daily at the sick call, or no 
medicines would be issued to them. Every one 
who reported at sick call, according to the previous 
rule, must be personally examined by the sur- 
geon, before receiving his prescription. It had 
been the custom to require "standing" cases to be 
reported only occasionally, since the disease (scurvy) 
demanded the same treatment daily for months, or 
until it was cured. To these men the clerks had 
been accustomed to carry the proper medicine, as the 
patient needed it, both to save time and relieve the 
surgeons of a part of their herculean labors. It 
would have been impossible, under the new order, to 
examine all these cases personally in one day, (there 
were more than nine hundred obtaining medicine 
from the surgeon I attended,) and, if that had been 
possible, the same remedies would have been pre- 
scribed, day by day. Capt. Wirz knew this, and 
confidently anticipated the result which followed. 
Six hundred and fifty patients, who had daily re- 
ceived medicines at my surgeon's stand, were dis- 
charged, and their names struck from the list of the 
sick. They were returned on the surgeon's report as 
cured, — no other return could be made — when, in 
fact, the little medicine which they had been in the 



370 ¥OUETEEN MONTHS 

habit of receiving, had merely been the means of 
counteracting the effects of the disease, and not of 
eradicating it; as soon as the medicine was with- 
drawn they grew rapidly worse, and many of them 
died. 

The awful reality of the torments inflicted upon 
the unfortunate victims of this war in rebel hands, 
can never be known, except by those who survived 
it. The constant craving of the apj^etite, from day 
to day and from month to month ; the continued ex- 
posure to the scorching sun and drizzling rains, des- 
titute of clothing and shelter ; lying upon the wet 
ground, and inhaling the poisonous air arising from 
the swamp, infected as it was with the stench of de- 
caying flesh that was dropping from living bodies 
by our side, as we slej)t; covered with vermin, that 
crawled in myriads over our persons, in spite of con- 
stant vigilance; the complete isolation; the absence 
of employment for mind or body ; the same dismal 
recurrence of the horrible scenes day after day; the 
despair of release, or an improvement in our condi- 
tion ; the dreary sense of desertion and desolation ; 
all these made up a 2:)icture of horror which no pen 
can describe, no pencil depict. 

In the foregoing pages the half has not been told; 
indeed, my pen has tried to soften the dreadful pic- 
ture as much as possible. But what is written is 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 3Y1 

truth, every word, unyielding truth. The following 
descrij^tion of the transfer of the prisoners from Mil- 
ieu and Andersonville, to the IT. S. steamer " Star of 
the South " at the time I was exchanged was written 
by an employe of the Sanitary Commission, on board 
the vessel. Although the incidents there related did 
not come to my notice, others of similar character 
were known to me at the time, and I do not hesitate 
to say the account is in no particular overdrawn. 

" No human tongue or pen can ever describe the 
horrible sufferings w^e have witnessed this day, 
(Nov. 20th). I was early at the landing, at half past 
eight o'clock in the morning, before the boat threw 
out her ropes for security. The first one brought 
two hundred bad cases, which the Naval Surgeon 
told me should properly go to the hospital near by, 
were it not that others were coming, every one of 
whom was in the most wretched condition imag- 
able. 



* 



" In a short time another boat-load drew near, and 
oh ! such a scene of suffering humanity, I dcske never 
to behold again. The whole deck was a bed of straw 
for our exhausted, starved, emaciated, dying fellow- 
creatures. Of the five hundred and fifty that left 
Savannah, the surgeon informed me not over two 
hundred would survive ; fifty had died on the passage, 
three died while the boat was coming to the land of 
liberty. I saw five men dying as they were carried 
on stretchers from the boat to the Naval Hospital. 



372 FOUETEE]^ MONTHS 

" Some had become insane ; their wild gaze and . 
clenched teeth convinced the ' observer that reason 
had fled; others were idiotic; a few were lying in . 
spasms ; joerhaps the realization of the hope long 
cherished, yet oft deferred, or the welcome sound of 
the music sent forth by the military band was more j 
than their exhausted natures could bear. When 
blankets were thrown over them, no one would have 
supposed that a human form lay beneath, save for 
the small prominence which the bony head and feet 
indicated. O God of justice ! what retribution awaits 
the perpetrators of such slow and awful murder. 

" The hair of some was matted together, like beasts 
of the stall which lie down in their own filth. Ver- 
min were over them in abundance. Nearly every 
man was darkened by scurvy, or black with rough 
scales, and with scorbutic sores. One in particular, 
was reduced to the merest skeleton ; his face, neck 
and feet covered with thick green mould. A num- 
ber who had Government clothes given them on the 
boat were too feeble to put them on ; and were car- 
ried ashoi'e partially dressed, hugging their clothing 
with a death-grasp that they could not Ijc persuaded 
to yield. It was not unfrequent to hear a man feebly 
call as he was laid on a stretcher, "Don't take my 
clothes ;" " O save my new shoes," " Don't let my 
socks go back to Andersonville." In their wild death 
struggle, with bony arms and hands extended, they 
would hold up their new socks, that could not be 
put on because of their swollen limbs, saying, " Save 
'em till I get home." In a little while, however, the 
souls of many were released from their worn-out 
frames, and borne to that higher liome where all 
things are registered for a great day of account. " 



m SOUTHERN PRISONS. 3 '7 3 

Another gentlemen writing of the condition of tlie 
prisoners taken near Wihnington, North Carolina, 
who had been exchanged, says : " After nerving 
myself for the visit, and trying to picture all the 
horrors while riding slowly over the half mile to the 
house where they had been collected, my brain reel- 
ed for the moment, as the sickening reality burst 
upon me. Officers came in, and those who had never 
quailed on the field of death, whose cheeks had never 
blanched, there stood aghast, with tears in their eyes, 
grinding their teeth, clenching their hands and 
thankino God that there was a Hell. Pale, hai^gard 
and emaciateid skeletons glared on us from glassy 
eyes, where the light of reason was just expiring 
With matted hair and skin blackened with pine 
snioke, scarcely covered Avith the filthiest shreds of 
cast-off rebel clothing, Avithout blankets, and most of 
them without coats or shoes, they gazed at us with 
an almost idiotic stare, while the majority could with 
difficulty be roused from their listlessness. Many 
had forgotten their names ; some could be aroused 
and their memories quickened by asking them of 
their homes, their wives and their children ; these 
magic words bringing them back from the grave 
into which they were sinking so fast. Many were 
djdng of starvation, with their hands clutching the 
bread our soldiers had brought them, " 



.SV4 -FOURTEEN MONTHS 

It is useless to multiply such scenes as these ; they 
occurred at every exchange point, and at every ar- 
rival of a load of prisoners ; Northern pajjers have 
circulated accounts of them over the entire country. 
But if the appearance of a few hundred was so terri- 
ble to an occasional witness, what must have been 
the emotions of those to whom for three months it 
was a daily occurrence to behold thousands in the 
same condition ? And what must be the feelings of 
the survivors against the perpetrators of these 
enormities ?, 

Greater crimes never lay at the door of anypeoj^le, , 
civilized or savage, than were perpetrated by the 
Confederate Government upon helpless prisoners of 
war. From the first battle of Bull Run till the last 
guerrilla fight of the war, it was their custom to rob 
their captives of their clothing, and when their cause 
grew hopeless under constant defeat, they turned 
their pitiless rage against their helpless foes. Tlie 
great crime which sent our President to his bloody 
grave, whether by the sanction of the rebel rulers or 
not, was the legitimate ofispring of the same spirit, 
as doomed us to slow and terrible death. Our con- 
dition must have been known to the Richmond au- 
thorities, for the medical reports revealed it ; yet for 
fourteen months, Ave suffered, and were only relieved 
when fear of Sherman and his invincible army com- 



! IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. ^75 

pellecl tliem to move us. It seems useless to give 
trial to the subordinates in these fearful assassina- 
tions, and to allow the chief offenders to go unjjun 
ished, for they were only carrying out the orders of 
their superiors in command, in their full scope and 
spirit ; rather let the infamous jilotters of these deeds 
also suffer, — the men whose word alone, had it been 
spoken, could have changed our condition from death 
to life ;*the commanders of their armies, the head of 
their nation. These are the guilty parties ; all others 
were but willing accessories. 

The survivors of all these atrocities have returned,— 
a band of heroes and martyrs for Liberty's sake, — 
and it remains to be seen what adequate return will 
be made to them for their sufferings. iNTobly have 
our soldiers fought and nobly died upon the bloody 
field, to save our beloved country from destruction. 
All honor to their holy memory. But these have 
sacrificed more than life, for they bear about them 
seeds of disease, which will render that life painful 
and Avr etched while it is prolonged, ekeing out a 
miserable existence through years, it may be, of 
physical torture, crippled and maimed, till the grave, 
most welcome, shall receive their " last of earth.'' 

To memory of the illustrious dead, whose feebler 
bodies yielded to the dreadful tortures, let monu- 
ments of marble and granite rise, to record the holy 



3*70 FOURTEEN MONTHS 

sacrifice; to tell to the pilgrim as he visits those 
fields of blood where they lie interred, the horrid tale 
of barbarity to which they fell victims, and to teach 
to coming generations, the terrible snfi*erings, the 
heroic endurance, the unflinching fortitude, with 
which their ancestoi's met and vanquished the rebel- 
lious enemies of their great and noble and happy 
country. " 



Since the above narrative was placed in the hands 
of the printer, Capt. Wirz has been arrested and 
brought to trial for his crimes. It may not be with- 
out interest to the general reader, to notice briefly 
the circumstances attendant upon his arrest and the 
developments upon his trial, as far as they have been 
made, up to this time, (August 20th, 1865). 

Sometime in May last, w^hile I was acting as clerk 
in the oflSce at Gen. Thomas' headquarters, a com- 
munication was sent there, by Gen. Wilson, com- 
mander of the cavalry forces of the army of the 
Cumberland, enclosing a letter addressed to that 
officer by Capt. Wirz, requesting protection for him- 
sel and family, against former prisoners, who " were 
disposed to wreak their vengeance upon him, for 
what they had suff'ered," in the Andersonville prison. 
Accompanying the letter, were the statements of 
several men of Wilson's command, who had suffered 



IX SOUTIIERX PRISONS. 377 

uiidor Capt. Wirz's tyranny, relative to the treatment 
themselves and others had received at his hands. 
Immediately on the receipt of these papers, I made 
a statement to Gen. Whipple, Chief of Staff and A. 
A. G. to Gen. Thomas, setting forth some of the facts 
embodied in this book. The result was that Capt. 
Wirz, instead of being protected by a guard at home, 
as he requested, was taken into custody and for- 
warded to Washington, to await an investigation of 
the charges made against him. 

Capt. Wirz claims, in his letter, that he was forced 
into the rebellion by the excitement of the times ; 
that, being badly wounded in the early part of the 
war, he was incapacitated for further active service 
in the field, and in February, 1864, he was ordered 
to report to Gen. J. H. Winder, by whom he was 
placed in command of the prison interior at Ander- 
sonville. He complains that his duties there were 
"arduous and unpleasant"; that he was not respon- 
sible for shortness of rations, over crowded state of 
the prison, inadequate supply of clothing, want of 
shelter, &c. ; and asserts that as soon as he can make 
arrangements he intends to return to Switzerland, — 
his native country — with his family. He further 
states himself to have been the "medium, and may 
better say tool," in the hands of his superiors. 

Without stopping here to reiterate the charge of 
25 



378 rOUHTEEK MONTHS 

cowadice, which I have ah-eady made, against him, — 
for who will doubt it, when Capt. Wirz attemj^ts to 
conceal himself under the flimsy pretext of " orders," 
which he could at any time have avoided by throw- 
ing up his commission, — I pass on to consider briefly 
how far he was responsible for the treatment of 
prisoners in his hands. 

He was responsible for the "over-crowded state of 
the prison," because he had the power to enlarge its 
limits at any time; he was responsible for the "want 
of shelter," because he had the control, by his own 
confession, of the prison interior, and he could have 
allowed the prisoners the privilege of providing 
themselves with the necessary materials for protec- 
tion against the climate ; he Avas responsible for the 
terrible punishments of the stocks and chain-gang 
or Lieut. Davis, who was in command during the 
illness of Cajit. Wirz, expressly prohibited those pun- 
ishments ; thus proving that there were no order 
from Richmond, or from any " superior oflicer," for 



inflicting them. 



It is well known that orders, given from a superior 
oflicer to his subordinate, are general in their nature ; 
and especially are they such, when they are given to 
one having command of an important post, like that 
at Andersonville, while great discretionary powei-s 
are allowed to carry out a general plan. This is so 



IN SOUTHEBX PRISONS. 379 

patent to any one having the least knowledge of mil- 
itary affairs, that it needs no comment. There is no 
doubt that there was a general plan on the part of 
the Confederate Government to murder the Federal 
prisoners, nor that Capt. Wirz w^as selected as a fit 
and willing instrument, in furtherance of it ; but the 
details of the torture were all his own. 'No order 
was ever given him to load men with balls and 
chains, and keep them wearing them for four or live 
weeks ; no order was given him to place a sick man 
in the chain-gang and retain him there till he died ; 
no order was given him to shoot defenceless sick 
men, or to murder those whom his brutalitv had reu- 
dered insane and irresponsible; but he did all these 
things. 

There seems to be a feeling, among a certain class 
of philanthropists, that the United States Govern- 
ment has no right to punish this man for his crimes; 
and a great cry of horror goes out against his trial. 
Men say he was acting under orders; but they forget 
that, even if that were true, the fact does not protect 
him. Xo man has a right to do anything unlawful, 
even though he is ordered by his superior to do so. 
Men argue in favor of Wirz, as if he were a subordi- 
nate of a foreign j^ower, and irresponsible to any 
Government except his own; but, even in that view, 
vyouhl it be consonant with the dignity and self res- 



380 FOtJRTEEN MONTHS 

pect of the United States, to make peace with a 
foreign power Avhose subordinates had treated its 
prisoners of war with such barbarity, without making 
a demand that the criminals be surrendered for pun- 
ishment, or that suitable punishment be inflicted 
upon them by the home authorities? — and is it to be 
supposed that peace would ever be made between 
the contending parties, until such demand was fully 
complied with? If such a course is just and right, 
between two sovereign states, it is certainly just and 
right to adopt it between the (xovernment and its 
rebellious subjects. 

It is a false philanthropy to consider rebels as any- 
thing but rebels ; no government ever succeeded in 
asserting its j)Ower in any other way. It may be 
policy to pardon them ; if so, they should be treated 
as pardoned men, whose immunity from punishment 
for the future, depends upon their own conduct. But 
there are crimes which do not deserve pardon, and 
if the deliberate starvation of thousands of helpless 
men, is not one of these, then should all punitive 
laws be abolished, and society resolved into its orig- 
al elements, owning no law but that which endows 
every individual with the right to use any means, 
necessary for self-preservation. 

The whole nation, the civilized world, right, justice 
and humanity, demand the punishment of the perpe- 



IX SOUTHERN PRISONS. 381 

trators of these astounding crimes; that men may 
know that even war with all its attendant horrors, 
does not permit them to indulge their gust for blood, 
unrestrained; that it is not a cloak with which they can 
cover their fiendish atrocities, and that its sanction 
will not protect them in the practice of private ven- 
gence, or in the gratification of their lust for the sight 
of misery. Whoever the criminals may be, whether 
Capt. Wirz, the instrument, or Davis and Lee the 
originators, each and all should be made to undergo 
an extreme penalty for their great guilt, to suffer 
tortures not less terrible than those they inflicted ujjon 
innocent and unoffending men. 

From the homes made desolate by their hands ; 
from the deserted firesides, whose ashes have long 
been cold ; from mothers, wives and kindred, whose 
loved ones come no more to greet them ; from every 
hamlet and crowded town, throughout the land ; from 
the bloody graves of twelve thousand victims, cut 
down in the pride of manhood, and wasted by famine 
and torture, such as never earth witnessed be- 
fore, there comes a cry for retribution ; and the 
voices of those murdered men, pleading for justice, 
will haunt these homicides, carrying their appeal 
from an earthly tribunal, to that higher Court, where 
a merciful, but an avenging Judge shall set the 
seal of right at last. 



WHO HAVE DIED AT ANDERSONVILLE, GA., AND 
SALISBURY, N. C. 



[And. 


, An 
(Do. 


lersonville 


; iSalis., Salisbury.] 


Co. 




Name. 


Place of 


Name. 


Place of 






Death. 






Death. 


1st INFANTRY. 




Priv R S Fires 


C 


And. 


SergtTPSimonds 


A 


And. 


H B Lever 


C 




Corp J W Allen 


G 




H H Liver 


c 




C Mitchell 


K 




E H Barnes 


D 




J B Smitk 


B 




W S McHugh 


D 




Piiv C Copeland 


A 




P Regman 


D 




R Twadle 


A 




F Stuart 


D 




H Brouser 


B 




M Ciine 


E 




D Hinly 


B 




J B Johnston 


E 




F Miller 


B 




J Salp 


E 




G W Halloway 


G 




S Stouts 


F 




J E Harris 


E 




E Church 


G 




H Gordon 


(J 




B Hymeio 


G 




N H Smith 


H 




W Rhotin 


a 




C Blight 






Wm Smith 


G 




M Dessender 






I Montgomery 


G 




A Ervin 






J P Dumas 


H 




HKeUy 






C W Chard 


H 




F McGinlkin 






I Linway 


H 




P F Prouso 






Dodge 


I 




C Gardner 


K 




Wra Hazlett 


K 




2d INFANTRY. 




J Hastmat 
Wm McHenrv 


K 
K 


Salis. 


Sergt Thoa J Moore 


D 


And. 


GSkeddy ' 


K 


And. 


James Frasier 


E 




J Steward 


K 




W P MeCormic G 










Corp J H Shepard 


E 




3d INFANTRY. 




J Lawson 


E 




P.iv G Perrin 


B 




H Fulkison 


I 




J Bumgardner 


C 




D Smith 


I 




John O'Brien 


D 




Priv D D Moore 


A 




A J Caldwell 


D 




C Finch 


B 




4th INFANTRY. 




Eckhart 


B 




J Diver 


A 




John Bowman 


C 




J Sutton 


A 




R E Colts 


C 




E Wilson 


A 





S84 



POtJETEEN MONTHS 



Name. Co. Place of 




Name. 


Co. Place of 


Death. 






Death . 


Priv G Gaston C 


Salis. 


Priv 


J Hicks 


D And . 


.Taints Snider C 


And. 




H McKnight 


G 


E Miller E 






W H Boyle 


H 


A Maloney H 






C E Morris 


H 


S E Scott' I 






J Brinker 


K 


5tli INFANTRY. 






G W Smith 


K 


D Hubber A 
W C Kimble I 






12th INFANTRY. 








P Maxwell 


A 


6th INFANTRY. 






S Decker 


C 


J Singer B 






M l^erbaileger 


c 


A T Vaitier C 






L Grove 


c 


N Bright E 






H Halchelt 


c 


A (Jummings E 






H McKabe 


c 


C Bontrelle G 






J Hughes 


E 


G W Gilbert G 






J D Scarrell 


E 


J Rourk U 






S Uchre 


E 


W Young G 






S N Leohnard 


H 


A Vandevier H 






N Vaie 


K 


J H Gohagan K 






13th INFANTRY. 


7th INFANTRY. 






D Greesling 


A 


George Arthur B 






J Hamilton 


A 


G M Vale D 






J Master 


A 


AAShouier E 






M Fens ley 


B 


John Young E 






W R Foroman 


E 


H I Boyd H 






A G Graff 


E 


H E Davis H 






F Hood 


F 


D Smith H 






H Gates 


G 


.John Brownlee I 






C Rogers 


H 


IVI McKinsley I 






A Curr 


1 


R Heyt K 






H Hartman 


K 


A Lepe K 






G Pepenbring 


K 


8th INFANTRY. 






14th INFANTRY. 


John Arnold B 


Sahs. 


Sergt G E Church 


C 


Henry Ringer D 




Corp 


Wm Gaunt 


I 


C Shoemaker F 


And. 


Priv 


Halbert 


A 


Jas McKeever G 






H Waldron 


A 


ilth INFANTRY. 






M Lutz 
J Warner 


C 

c 


Sergt Thos Snider G 






F Spegle 


D 


Priv J S Goodrich A 






Eli Burchfield 


G 


F Walters B 






C Bruhning 


G 


Jas Russell E 






Wm Samse 


H 


L Harmon F 






J Cepp 


I 


C Blessing F 






H Yanfleet 


I 


Young F 






S McComb 


K 


John Bogart G 
F K Hennell G 






15th INFANTRY. 


W Manson G 




Sergt N Jarett 


A 


J Shaffer G 






J Caldwell 


D 


J H Weibrick G 




Corp 


A G Craven 


C 


10th INFANTRY. 




Priv 


N Martin 


A 


Geo R Coules S S 
P Freeley G 
E Hart G 


Salis. 
And. 




James Wood 
J G Chambers 
J Kellar 
R N White 


B 
C 
D 
D 


11th INFANTRY. 






G Kelley 


E 


W Cost D 






John Brandon 


F 



IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 


SbO 


Name. Co. Place of 


Name. Cc, Place of 


Death. 


Death . 


Priv C Hurley F And. 


Priv A T Manahan D 


And. 


S R Wingrose F 


W Patten D 




G StuU G 


M Fanaman E 




WH Doughty H 


J Night E 




I Collins I 


G Pratt G 




W Shaw I 


G H Morrison H 
A H Foenix H 




16th INFANTRY. 


G H Reid H 




E Bryan C 


H Riggs H 




17th INFANTRY. 


Ira Ward H 




Sergt J L Vail C) 


J Harrison I 




Priv John Stover A 


C Myer I 




James Mitchell D 


P S Davidson K 




Frank Briggs (t 


Wm Forrest K 




Sam'l Masters I 


G Jolly K 




- 18th INFANTRY. 


J Powers K 
E Whiting K 




Corp W Fullerstine Iv 


22d INFANTRY. 




Priv J Eastman C 


J F McMillen A 




P Kinkade C 


W Lehigh B 




L Y"ounker F 


J CoUyer G 




James Finlan K 


B Davis — 




J Haver K 


23d INFANTRY. 




19fch INFANTRY. 


Sergt Wm Mcintosh I 




J Gilbert B 


Priv Wm Hubbell A 




J S Seward B 


E A Piper B 




M Lemmons E 


Charles Brown D 




J Mick E 


Samuel Hall D 


Salis. 


D Balcomb F 


John Ridgway D 


And. 


Hendnckson P 


J A Holebaugh E 




C Moore H 


James Ludely E 


Salis. 


J Balunt I 


Wm Bartels I 




P E Goff K 


Charles Dille I 


And. 


20th INFANTRY. 


C Crumb arger I 
C Johnson I 


Salis. 


Sergt W H Barrum B 
W H Tapp E 






24th INFANTRY. 




E M Evans I 


Corp J Jennings K 


And, 


Corp W Elliott F 


Priv Edmond Gerry J) 


Salis. 


Piiv H Rapp F 


AV Douglas F 


And. 


Peter Wolf F Salis. 


E Shoulder F 




F G Hiles G And. 


J Endermill K 




21st INFANIRY. 


25th INFANTRY. 




Sergt Geo McMurray G 


R Beeman E 




E W Brown E 






S Hull E 


26th INFANTRY. 




G Strith I 


Sergt J Cochran G 




Corp PLGingeri E 


Corp H Jacobs F 




S Marshal G 


Priv VB Thompson C 




Priv A Gary A 


J Townsend C 




H M Clark A 


S C Barrett F 




H G Watson A 


W Brown G 




G Caswell C 


C Diecy G 




F Pinert C 


A Wiley I 




A Arnewbrish D 


A P Clanyan K 




Wm Hibbett D 






E Kelley D 


27th INFANTRY. 




J Lindsey D 


P M McLaine A 





26 



FOVKTEEN MONTHS 



Triv 



Name. 


Co. 


Place of 
Death. 


A Gilland 


F 


And. 


28th INFANTRY 


^ 


Jacob Selb 


C 




A Ehmann 


F 




C Goodbraith 


a 




D Koanskotr 


I 




C Miller 


I 





2»th INFANTEY. 
II B White A 

30fch INFANTRY. 
J ad Gallagher F 

31st INFANTRY. 
Sergt J C Clark H 

Priv W F Loiio-streot A 



T L Barnes 
L Shiober 
W Ingler 
W H autchcll 
L H Burch 



B 
B 


B 
H 



02dIISFANTRY. 

Sergt A Tancr Q 

Corp J H Humes I 

Priv B Horerlin B 

AV Simpson F 

33d INFANTRY. 

Corp U A Copen v: 

W Pile F 

Priv H Pliighes A 

J Massie A 
E Rear A 

WHRadabaughA 
Samuel Evans B 
R Hazcrman B 
Samuel Pulien B 
W V Richards B 
C W Akliiage C 
TDaih' I) 

W H liavis D 
J Fip E 

J W E McCormicE 
A B Whitehead E 



J W Knidler 
H Phillips 
C N Dearth 
John Dilldine 
C S Steward 



H 
I 
Iv 
K 
K 



34th INFANTRY. 



Wm El CO ok 
A Alowu 
H T Bean 
W Preston 

Joshua Baker 
11 Callihan 



A 
B 
B 
B 






Priv 



Name. 

J Shepherd 
G Hitchcock 
George Elder 
A Hendrick 
J Vollis 



Co. Place of 
Death. 
And. 



D 
G 
H 
H 
H 



35th INFANTRY. 

Sergt J M Fenton I 
Priv F Oattlehock A 



Salis. 
And. 



Salis. 
And, 



G W Davidson C Salis. 



8e )•,<;•: 
Priv 



Corp 
Priv 



39th INFANTRY. 

J Baughman G 

40th INFANTRY. 

R I Malono H 

E P Fitch G 

C Gibson H 

R Gibson H 
T AY Henderson H 

F Hicks H 

J Porter H 

W C Porter H 

"Wm Trinmier H 

41st INFANTRY. 

H H Brown H 
E E Doty H 

43d INFANIRY. 

D Juhnston U 

D U Brewer K 

44th INFANTRY. 



Sergt T S Boden 


— 


Priv Jas .Thomas 


C 


J Imboden 


E 


E B Rut an 


E 


John Way 


I 



45th INFANTRY. 

Sergt R Dayman B 

Corp G A Smith F 

A S Johnston I 

Priv A Boora A 



Salis. 
And. 



E Shannon 


A 


F J Wisser 


A 


J W Higgins 


D 


B F Warner 


E 


C B Livingood 


G 


A McCloud 


G 


\V S Cummings I 


3Gth INFANTRY. 


E F Parks 


D 


Jas H Yeager 


D Salis. 


W Yeager 


D And 


J Weaaon 


F 


A Barnes 


G 


J Heckler 


(r 


H Jett'rioa 


1 


J Gilliman 


K 



IN SOUTHEKN PRISONS. 



387 



rriv 



Name. 


Co. Place of 




Death. 


W P Hanna 


A Aiid. 


A \V Lance 


A 


J Bird 


A 


W Allen 


B 


E Baker 


B 


W Gordon 


B 


Geo W Justice 


B 


Jack Horner 


B 


I Laughessy 


B 


George Musaer B 


C D Nash 


B 


S B Turner 


B 


John Wooley 


B 


G Dully 


C 


NHockingburg 


hC 


W Humphreys 


G 


*R Jones 


C 


J Kelloy 


c 


li MiDiahall 


c 


John Neai 


c 


J Staneli 


c 


W J Buldy 


D 


N Curtis 


D 


J Hendersliot 


D 


J Mason 


D 


L Werts 


D 


G W Davis 


E 


Geo Downing 


E 


W A Gutterlee 


E 


P Jacobs 


E 


8 llollins 


E 


A Spangler 
W J Botkcn 


E 


F 


A S Bothkins 


F 


P Bteets 


F 


A Godfrey 


G 


H Jones 


G 


G Bidler 


G 


W H H Vinniug G 


W R Arrows 


H 


8 J B Kannady 


H 


John Long 


H 


James Pussey 


H 


Wm E Parker 


H 


A Ross 


II 


W Brookhart 


I 


Batch 


I 


Chas Shannon 


I 


Wm Bodkin 


K 


F Leasme 


K 


Charles Laine 


K 


George Bhrivei 


Iv 



46th INFANTRY. 

William Kelly C 

47th INFANTRY. 

Sorgt J Shoemaker E 
Priv A Ryan A 



Name. Co. Place of 

Death. 
49th INFANTRY. 



Sergt Maj J W Clokie 

M Sweet F 

J Gregg K 

L Cover B 

Thomas Squires G 



Priv 



J Daviue 
G W Sheldt'.n 
D McSorley 
James Lowry 
S Bishop 
A Duncan 



50th INFANTRY. 
D Mcintosh D 
James Mooney D 

5 1st INFANTRY. 

Jas Buckbier A 

Wm Cahiil A 

John Ditto A 

J John. -on A 

James McKerr A 

D Alinger C 

C Ott C 

I Rogers C 

L Couliright F 
J D Stonehicks F 

W Evans I 

A Sickles I 

B Mahin I 

S Bowman K 

52d INFANTRY. 
A P Downer B 

53d INFANTRY. 
Sergt Charles Dick G 

54th INFANTRY. 
Priv 



W L Hill 
J D Masters 
C Bender 
J Knapp 
A Myers 


A 
B 
C 
E 
I 


55th INFANTRY. 


J H Griffith 


G 


57th INFANTRY. 


David Coons 


C 


59th INFANTRY. 


J Rosa 
J H Moore 
A Penny 
M Drake 
R Reese 
W H Wood 


A 

C 

c 

D 
D 
E 



And. 



388 



FUOflTEEN MONTHS 



Priv 



Name. Co. Place of 

Death. 
M Don!y G And. 

W H Cromwell H 
N EUeman K 

60th INFANTRY. 

George Black A Sails. 

James Doran A And. 

L Garroll A 

S Maulag A 

A Norton A Sails. 

John Shumme A 

Geo Williams A 

J Cuvere B 

J Ginther B 

C W Albrook C 

Albert Brock C Sails. 

G W Clark D And. 

Edw'd Harkins D Salis. 

John W Green D 

M Harkins D And. 

J H Moore D 

Orien Holcomb F Salis. 

N Bremer F And. 

Thos Jenkins F Salis. 

GW Mills F And. 

Charles Wolfe F Sahs. 

J W Wagnan F 

S M Williams F And. 

Tbos Watson F Salis. 

N Ship man H 

T W Carpenter H 

H Harper I And. 

James Pease, I Salis. 

61st INFANTRY, 
r Bower I And- 

62d INFANTRY. 
H S Clarke E 

S Starbuck E 

63d INFANTRY. 



A Lanson 
J dinger 
J R Anderson 
T Sharp 



D 
F 
K 
K 



64th INFANTRY. 



J Arni 

A Foreman 



D 

E 



65th INFANTRY. 

Sergt G Peasley H 

Priv G Bunkhorner C 
J Robinson D 
G Oarnahan F 
C Waller I 

J Mulhn K 



Name. Co. Place of 

Death. 
66th INFANTRY. 



Priv J McKuabe 



G And. 



67th INFANTRY. 
Corp J Kenny E 

68th INFANTRY. 

Priv R Maymene D 
A Coleman K 

69 h INFANTRY. 



H Cameron 


B 


J W Wear an 


F 


Joseph Harris 


I 


J Arthur 


K 


70th INFANTRY 


A Bell 


B 


S Blangy 


B 


J McCaiae 


C 


Mus. J Howard 


D 


Priv P Winder 


D 


H Copeheart 


I 


71st INFANTRY. 


Geo Sponscular B 


72d INFANTRY. 


Corp N S Hains 


C 


FStodler . 


E 


Priv A Almond 


A 


William Hinton A 


M Perrin 


A 


H Sturdevant 


A 


L Wentworth 


A 


Hadwell 


C 


G H Lowe 


C 


John Pursell 


D 


S Jackson 


E 


M Lockner 


E 


H Potter 


E 


N J Zink 


E 


H Shook 


¥ 


JM J Sanner 


F 


S B ackman 


G 


C Frankinburg 


G 


P Sopser 


G 


J Ross 


H 


M Weaver 


H 


P Donahue 


K 


73d INFANTRY. 


D Wickhames 


D 


E A Hansbury 


E 


J White 


E 


74th INFANTRY 



Salis . 
And* 



Sergt Saml Campbell G 
Priv Wm Hudson G 



IN SOUTHEEN PRISONS. 



389 



Name. Co. Place of 

Death. 
75th INFANTRY. 



Priv G Chapman A 
Wm Pearce H 
J Roman H 

76th INFANTRY. 
T Sullivan C 

Charles Harvey E 

77th INFANTRY. 

J Gullendick E 

80th INFANTRY. 

A Ruce C 

A Steel H 

-8l8t INFANTRY. 

Wm Sheets A 

82d INFANTRY. 

Corp W Carpenter D 

Priv B Cole A 

H B Smith B 

W Falks D 

J Bramugan F 

J H Feelies F 

A Talman H 

G Richardson — 

84th INFANTRY. 
Ciorp Wm Jones B 

85th INFANTRY. 
Priv Greenhangh E 

86th INFANTRY. 
G Hofner G 

89th INFANTRY. 

«ergt J C Arthur A 

T J Barre A 

W JiMcKeel D 

W J Rolstan D 

E N Townsley E 

T Augustis K 

A Willis A 

Corp Wm L Riley B 

L C Cornehus C 

W Wilkinson D 

S M Spencer E 

Priv James Bomers A 
James Lambert A 

G Staley A 

Wm Wood A 

J J Cordray B 

O HuU B 

J Payne B 

J P West B 

Wm Crust C 

B F Harry C 



And. 



Name. Co. Place of 
Death. 

Priv WmMcDill C And. 

J M Ralston C 

L Snyder C 

W B Thomas C 

Geo M Coyner D 

Sam'l Eppert D 

C Sampson D 

A Seymour D 

O Scurbens D 

J S Wright E 

F Logan F 

E P Hill G 

W B Perkins G 

FSlv G 
J M Vanmalley G 
L GWainwright G 
R S Chambers H 

J W Johnston H 

Wm H Latter H 

J Lucas H 
A J McDonnald H 

LWrotin H 

J D Clark I 

J B Carter I 

D Fisher I 

J B Sawyer I 

S Nelder I 

D B Robins I 

P Smith I 

W Christy K 

W R Houser K 

90th INFANTRY. 

Joseph Wyatt B 
D Williamson D 
J C Beery E 

91st INFANTRY. 
D Lane D 

J C AUen F 

H Hartley F Salis. 

92d INFANTRY. 
Corp L C Hardee E 

V H Barnes H 

J M Crooks K 
Priv J McElroy }". 

J Blackwood I 

93d INliANTRY. 

R Anderson C 

J Stiver O 

P Tinway C 

A Smock D 

A Schmats E 

J Wagner F 

94th INFANTRY. 

G W Police C 
W C Baker E 



And. 



27 



3^0 



FUOUTEEN MOITTHS 



Name. Co. Place of 

Death. 
Priv A A Akera F And. 
Samuel D Eush F 
M Biddinger K 

95tli INFANTRY. 

D J Cutsdapner D 
B Durant D 

G W Henry E 
WPFike H 

R Neff H 



96th INFANTRY. 


John Love 


E 


98th INFANTRY. 


Corp Thos Rees 


C 


Priv S Kinnible 


A 


J B McCoy 


A 


J H Johnson 


D 


D Lagrace 


D 


J Hillyard 


F 


99th INFANTRY. 


Sergt ED Harris 


I 


Corp E Ham 


K 


Priv G W Black 


F 


Jas Fry 


I 


Daniel Frayer 


I 


100th INFANTRY. 


Sergt P H Hally 


B 


Corp H Price 


A 


Priv RM Foster 


A 


C Fowler 


A 


C Smith 


A 


A M Towns 


B Salis 


J M Zuber 


B And 


Geo Beaver 


C 


H Benor 


E 


M R Metcalf 


E 


H Stephens 


E 


E W Ostrander 


H 


M Still 


H 


Greo Ames 


K 


John Lovely 


K 


Jos Wentling 


K 


101st INFxiNTRY. 


Sergt F E Strnchion 


A 


Priv A Bradley 


A 


(i Coleman 


A 


B F Decker 


B 


R F Moore 


C 


DBush 


H 


F Dibble 


H 


a W Stephens 


H 


P Schafier 


I 


J Suhein 


K 



102d INFANTRY. 
G Becklev F 





Name. 


Co. Place of 








Death. 




103d INFANTRY. 




Corp 


N Hawkins 


G 


And. 


Priv 


J Conway 


A 






W Thomas 


B 






F O'Connor 


E 






Wm Smith 


F 






A Jordon 


G 






Geo Hind 


H 






H Vangilder 


H 






S J Harrington I 






A Miller 


I 






lOlth INFANTRY 


, 




B C Entertiu 


K 





105th INFANTRY. 

J Morris A 

G W Shaw A 

E Bartholomew C 
F Belding D 

J L Joaes D 

G Martin F 

109. h INFANTRY. 

Corp W 11 Bonesline I 

110th INFANTRY. 

Sergt H H Robinson H 

Corp M Brown , F 

Priv C Honick P 

P H Riper G 

111th INFANTRY. 



Corp 


"W Demming B 




J Hudisun B 


Priv 


G L Brown A 




K Cline B 




D V Clark B 




J Decker B 




S Jones B 




A K Ranev B 




L T Russell B 




D Stevenson B 




J Stevenson B 




J W SwineheartB 




WmWickham B 




N Crasser C 




NV^m Facar K 




R Meek K 




112 fch INFANTRY 




G Boles H 




113th INFANTRY 


Corp 


F Peterson G 


Priv 


P Gaify G 




W H Hunt G 



114th INFANTRY. 
A G Hatfield B 



IX SOUTHERN PEISOXS. 



!9] 



Name. Co. 

Priv S E Irving H 
J H ricotfc H 

J Skiver H 

115th INFANTRY. 
Dan'l Harboidt F 

116th INFANTRY. 



Place of 
Death. 
And. 



RHoit 


B 


A G Preshale 


C 


J Worte 


C 


W F Flowers 


D 


A Forshay 


F 


R G RasseU 


G 


118th INFANTRY. 


* W James 


F 


120th INFANTRY. 


R Robertson 


D 


J Mitchell 


F 


121st INFANTRY 


'Corp A B Allen 


G 


Priv P D Boxter 


D 


N Smith 


H 


J M Burna 


K 


123d INFANTRY. 


J Dunbar 


B 


D Worthen 


B 


J R Briace 





J H Kerr 


C 


J Oliver 


C 


OClay 


D 


A Gr Cromblet 


E 


R L Franks 


E 


James Potts 


E 


D Henderson 


H 


C Redd 


H 


P C Robins 


H 


J Spiger 


H 


J Adams 


I 


J Lasiere 


K 


123d INFANTRY. 


G Pfiffer 


A 


S Wood 


A 


S F Bond 


B 


J B Hayward 


C 


Wm Forrey 


D 


F ShiTltz 


E 


J Durr 


H 


W L Fry 


H 


C Valentine 


H 


John Lay 


K 


124th INFANTRY 


Corp NPlunket 


E 


W Parker 


H 



Priv 



Name. 

J M Gould 
J C Horney 
M Chandler 
Z Parker 
S S La\Y 
J Rei 



Co. Place of 
Death. 
A And. 
C 
E 
E 
I 
K 



125th INFANTRY. 



J Pearson 

J Wrie 

A E Hayford 

A Sell 

B Vaughn 

B H Bretton 

J Brooks 



B 
B 

G 
E 
F 
H 
I 



Salis. 
And. 



G W Lamphue K 

126th INFANTRY. 

J G Buckley A 

J Hurtis G 

M Johnson C 

Isaac Weaver G 

J J Benkle E 

S Hall F 

J O'Neal F 

W A Jewell G 

J J Brecker H 

H Grager H 

G W Hatfield K 

128th INFANTRY. 
O Dipper I 

130 th INFANTRY. 
Geo Wickliffe D Sails. 
135th INFANTRY. 



Sergt A M Pror B 

Corp J Rochelle F 

Priv A Alward A 

G W Hutchins A 

B Hayner A 

H Boyle B 

James Bell B 

Geo Brookover B 



And. 



W B Crooks 
H Licklighter 
S H Myers 
J Mark 
G Vankirk 
E Eweng 
W A Benner 
G H Barstow 
J A Chappin 
J R Clarke 
J Diver 
W Ensley 
M B Firgrave 
W Holmes 
R Harmon 



B 

B 
B 
B 
B 

D 
F 
F 
F 
F 
F 
F 
F 
F 
F 



392 



FOUilTEEN MONTHS 



Priv 



Name. Co. PI 


ace of 1 




Name. 


Co. Place or 


Death. I 






Death. 


S D Jones P 


And. 




2d CAVALRY. 


Samuel Miller F 
Wm Morris F 




Sergt 


P W Stanford 


A And^ 


S Palmer F 






D Craig 


D 


J Sullivan F 
E Talbert F 
J M Woodruff F 




Priv 


THuil 
A Glisson 
A A Smith 


H 

M • 
A 


J F Drake G 
J Miller I 






MRHickox 
E Adams 
S B Cook 


B 
C 
C 


li4th INFANTRY. 






F G Palmer 


D 


James Grover B 


Salis. 




H Reeker 
Sam'l Sears 


E 
F 


H Guise B 






J Bessel 


G 


John McCombs B 






C J Robinson 


G 


Isaac H Price B 






U S Turner 


G 


Walter Wood B 






R Coales 


H 


Hiram White E 






Jos Ferris 


H! 


C E Henry H 






Wm Rie 


K 


P Barton' I 






D Shingle 
S R Bickel 


L 


Wm Brown I 






M 


W Brown I 






F Wins: 


M 


Adam Bovil K 






A. »I *-*^0 




Israel Bums K 






3d CAYALRY. 


C A Bryant K 






H Furguson 


D 


B Eusminger K 






Ed Ni^er 


I 


F H C Fresbie K 






J W Rex 


K 


J A Mars K 






J B Jones 


M 


John Morgan K 










John Eubale K 






4th CAYALRY. 


Oran Sage K 






A Malsbray 


A 


L Talmer K 






F Mitler 


A 


145th INFANTRY. 






AKerby 
E Green 


A 
D 


W H Danton E 


And. 




Wm Earles 


G 


George W' inters K 






Wm Herbert 


L 


149h INFANTRY. 






5th CAYALRY. 


Preston Sawyer F 


Salis. 




F Dyke 


K 


H Benner ' H 






J Moreart 


K 


153d INFANTRY. 






6th CAYALRY. 


J W Hutchena A 


And. 


Corp 


S Groscaust 


G 


G G B'Hymer A 




Priv 


G Brabham 


B 


B Futtimon C 






E Knowlton 


B 


J Poistian F 






R J Green 


C 


J Mott H 






H Logan 


E 


l8t LT. ARTILLERY. 




V Ferinan 
J W Parks 


G 
G 


Geo Crocker A 






J Shepple 


G 


let CAYALRY. 






W L Sprague 


K 


L B Bates A 






7th CAYALRY. 


Thos Dugan B 




Sergt A Idold 


C 


John Hugel C 






J Davis 


F 


Thos Nelson E 






J Hill 


L 


James Donley F 




Corp 


R L Hudsonpiller L 


C Gamer K 




Priv 


Sam'l Leisure 


A 


F Nelson K 






J Murphy 


B 


ksmith, L Myers — 






J Yager 


B 



^ jrd 



94 



Priv 



FOURTEEN 


MONTHS I 


Name. 


Co. Place of 




Death. 


J E Smith 


K And. 


N Iluming 


D 


John Denton 


E 


Wra Holloway 


F 


John Smith 


F 


Saml Sweeney 


Vt 


E Dodson 


H 


M Hm-ring 


I 


B McClung 


I 


WiUiams 


K 


B Gillinghaia 


L 


G B Hank 


L 


Joseph Henry 


L 


(icorge Shields L 


J Manley 


M 


^ 8th CAVALRY. 


James Dunham M 


'Jth CAVALRY. 


S Vanhorn 


C 



Name. 



Co, 



Priv J D Clayton D 
N Baldwin F 

Charles Arnold G 
Wm Smith G 
N Wistman G 



. n93 

Place of 
Death. 
And. 



10th CAVALRY. 


T IMartin 
11 C Mitchell 
B Barber 
E Brutsche 
G E Pease 
E Evall 
Wm Thomas 


A 
B 
D 
I 
I 

M 
M 


12th CAVALRY. 


Corp L Dorson 
Priv R a Morgan 


I 
H 


3d OHIO IND'PT CAVALRY 


Priv T Dandelion. 


— 



Total list of deaths in Andersonville 879 

" " " in Salisbury G2 



^ 




^o^ 







•BBS BROS. p ♦ 

kRY BINDINQ * ** 



Y 8 

kUGUSTINE ". 



